


Photos From a One-Life Stand

by 1clevergurl



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Cunnilingus, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Fluff, Humor, Masturbation, Medical Trauma, Romance, Smut, Strap-Ons, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2014-12-01
Packaged: 2018-02-25 07:13:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 90,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2612972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1clevergurl/pseuds/1clevergurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the eve of their five year anniversary, Emma and Regina look through a small photo album containing pictures and momentos of some of the most special moments, good and not-so-good, in their relationship.  As they look through the album, they remember the stories behind each of the photos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> A/N #1 - All TV shows, movies, books, and/or other copyrighted material referenced in this work, including the characters, settings, and events therein, are the properties of their respective owners, not me. This work is an interpretation of that material and is not intended to be used for profit. All references are made in a fictional context and for entertainment only, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or taken as factual.
> 
> A/N #2 – I am an Engineer, not an English major. I had to get some stuff out of my head to make room for other stuff. Sorry if there are punctuation mistakes. I did try to catch all the spelling and grammar stuff though! I didn’t pay much attention in English classes. I never thought I would be writing Fan Fiction. Funny how that works, right? 
> 
> A/N #3 – One or two lines of italics normally represent thoughts in someone’s head. Multiple lines or paragraphs of italics; especially when contained between separator lines, usually denotes a flashback to an event. Separator lines represent a separation of scenes or character vantage point or a flashback/reference to a past event. I will probably make more sense as you read.
> 
> A/N #4 – Somewhere around the last two chapters, things will move beyond the confines of the photo album, but the album will still have a part.
> 
> A/N #5 – I dedicate this to my wife who kindly allowed me to indulge most of my nights and weekend to the writing of this story (and even some of our seven-year anniversary in London – it was raining, I swear!). I don’t know if I am scared or excited that she will finally see what rattles around in my brain. I hope you love it, baby!!

**September 21, 2015**

Emma pressed the gas pedal of her black Camaro to the floor and glanced over nervously at the clock.  It was 6:48PM and she had about 12 minutes to get to where she needed to go.

 _No sweat_ , thought Emma with a smirk as she felt the growl of the V8 under the hood and tore past the town sign:  Welcome To Storybrooke, Maine.

This was the most eagerly anticipated day of the year for Emma, at least for the time being.  She knew that eventually, there would be another, but that would come soon enough.  For now, this was the day.  Most wouldn’t describe Emma as overly sentimental, this date had meaning and this was a tradition that she had kept for five years, in one way or another.  She wasn’t about to miss it this year, although she was coming damn close thanks to: the bone-headed scheduling of some fool at the station that believed that her yearly police re-cert in Portland should happen today and the antics of a certain cop called Peterson that she had just had the ‘pleasure’ of meeting.

* * *

 

_Emma was on the final stretch of her one and a half hour drive to Storybrooke, Maine, only 15 miles from the town line, when she saw the flashing lights in the rearview mirror and heard the quick whoop of the siren.  Groaning audibly, Emma slowed the car and pulled to the side of the road.  The patrol car edged in behind.   As the officer walked slowly to the side of the car, Emma powered down the window and lowered the volume on the radio.  She looked to the left as he approached and she flashed a smile._

_“I am sorry officer, is there a problem?”_

_Tipping his hat back slightly and looking left and right, the officer laid his forearms on the top of her car and leaned close, almost in, to the side window.    Emma barely resisted rolling her eyes.  He was in his early 50s, moustache, sunglasses…he was even chewing on a toothpick.  She would almost be willing to lay money on the fact that at least one character out of a bad porn movie had been based on this guy.  Worse yet, he was checking her out and wasn’t ashamed that she was aware of it._

_“Do you know how fast you were going?”_

_“Well, the speed limit sign said 65 and I would say no more than about three to four over.”_

_Chuckling like someone that was having entirely too much fun with this encounter and overly confident about having the upper hand, he shook his head slowly._

_“No, sweet thing.  I got you clocked doing 93.”_

_“Hmmmm.  Sure didn’t seem like it, but sometimes it is hard to tell how fast and hard you are going when you have this kind of size and power under you.”_

_The officer smirked and pushed back up from his leaning position.  He brought his hands to the front of his belt and Emma raised her brows slightly wondering what his next move would be, but he tugged up his pants and belt and proceeded to pull out his ticket book and pen from his breast pocket._

_“Yeah, well, I am going to need your license and registration…unless, of course, you are interested in coming to some sort of an….off the books… agreement?”_

_Slowly he trailed the capped end of his pen down the side of Emma’s toned bicep._

_Gathering an authoritative tone, Emma ignored the question and confirmed,_

_“License and registration.  Right away.”_

_Emma flipped her wallet open so that all three flaps lay open in her hands.  The police badge on the left side was prominently displayed and the center window contained her ID, the top line distinctly calling out her name and rank, Emma Swan, Lieutenant, Storybrooke, Maine Police Department._

_As she fiddled with the last compartment on the right, she intentionally delayed locating and extracting her license to ensure he got a good look at everything.  She glanced sideways to see if he was looking yet, but he was currently writing out the ticket.  She stilled her movements, expecting that the lack of shuffling would draw his attention in 3….2….1…._

_As the officer raised his head and eyes, she turned her head to him so she could get a full, front row seat to the look of shock that had hit his face.  Quickly, he stood a bit straighter and focused his gaze to the passenger seat and off Emma’s body._

_“L…Lieu…Lieutenant…I apologize ma’am.  I didn’t realize you were a fellow officer here in our fine state of Maine.  Obviously, as a professional courtesy, this ticket is considered null and void and I apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced this late afternoon.”_

_Emma could see the beads of sweat popping up on the officer’s forehead as he waited for the other shoe to drop.  Emma stared hard at the man and ensured her tone was serious and direct._

_“Thank you officer and, now, I’m going to extend you a professional courtesy as well.  You have until Monday to come clean with your commanding officer.  Because, on Monday, I intend to call him and let him know exactly what went down during this particular traffic stop.  Oh and, Officer Peterson, is it? Make sure and include all of the details.  I know I will.”_

_“Y…Y…Yes, Ma’am. Yes, Lieutenant.”_

_As Emma powered back up her window, she flashed a winning smile and wiggled her fingers in a wave at the officer._

_“Have a nice evening, Peterson.”_

_Spinning her tires, she roared back out onto the highway intent on making up lost time and leaving Officer Peterson covered in dust and embarrassment._

_“Bitch….”_

* * *

 

So this was the situation Emma found herself in now: 12 minutes to make it to The Crossbow Bar and Restaurant on the wharf and to get herself a front row view to the events that would unfold.

After a relatively short ride through town, she found herself at the wharf and hummed the Camaro into one of the parking spaces at The Crossbow.  Grabbing her red leather jacket off the passenger seat, Emma opened the door and stepped out, shrugging on her jacket to brace her against the slight chill that was starting to accompany the first evenings of autumn.    She was dressed in her usual attire, the one she felt most comfortable in: tight, skinny jeans that accentuated her strong legs, white tank top, boots, Ray Bans, now perched atop her head due to the darkness of the evening having fallen. Her blonde hair fell in curls over her shoulders and back and bounced slightly as she jogged up to the front of the restaurant.  Even at 32, she had the athletic body of a 20-year old and her strong legs propelled her through the slight crowd that had gathered on the deck to drink and smoke, making her way to and through the main door of the restaurant.

Glancing at her watch as she stepped through, she took a moment to mentally pat herself on the back.  _Five minutes to spare_.

Inside, the lighting was subdued, only slightly lighter than outside thanks to the candles encased in ships lanterns that sat on the dining tables and the bar at regular intervals.  Walls were lined with dark planks that were probably pulled from some of the older ships that had been decommissioned and a nautical theme played throughout.  A decent number of stout wooden chairs and tables sat in the dining room where patrons sat eating and conversing happily (or tiredly) about their weeks in front of large windows that allowed them to look out onto the wharf and take in the lights of the boats that meandered in and out of the docks during the evening.

Since it was a Friday, the bar area was starting to fill up as patrons rolled through after work for a drink with friends and acquaintances.  Emma wound her way carefully through the crowd and made her way to the far side of the bar where she took a seat that maintained a full view of the door.  She glanced around at the other patrons as if searching for something briefly, but then went back to watching the door. 

“Hey there, Em!” shouted the bartender as Emma took a seat on one of the stools. 

The bar was actually sizeable taking up about one-third of the restaurant.  _Not surprising_ , thought Emma.  The town was small, and with little else to do, this had become the defacto place to trade gossip, meet friends, meet a one-night-stand or just get lit and forget your issues for a while. It was the ‘get lit’ folks that Emma had the most familiarity with, since most of them had found their way into her police car at one time or another.

“Hey Rubes!” yelled back Emma with a huge smile and wave.

Ruby settled the drinks of a few patrons at the other end of the bar and grabbed some tips off the counter, sliding them into her red shorts that left little to the imagination.   As Emma saw Ruby approach, she had to admit that Ruby’s remaining outfit left little to the imagination either: her button down white shirt was tied above her navel and unbuttoned enough to reveal the top of some barely-there red lace bra and her feet were covered by 5 inch, red heels that looked so damn uncomfortable that Emma couldn’t imagine working all night in them.  Her brown hair was pulled into some crazy up-do that showed the streaks of red color that were hidden underneath.  By anyone’s standards, Ruby was a knockout and Emma expected that she could give anyone, man or woman, a real run for their money, in or out of bed. 

Ruby was one of the very few folks in town that Emma had really bonded with over the years.  She liked the little bit of eccentricity and excitement that Ruby brought to an otherwise boring place.  Ruby was always up for a bit of fun or mischief, but more than that, she was just a great listener.    While she and Emma were practically the same age, Emma always felt like Ruby’s advice came from a place far advanced in years.  It was kind of creepy, but Ruby’s advice and eclectic knowledge had gotten Emma out of more than a few jams in the past, so she just appreciated the sounding board and didn’t question the source too much.  Over the years, they had grown into a kind of adopted sibling relationship and it suited them both well.

“What can I get you this evening, girl?” asked Ruby with playful smile.

“Uh, actually, nothing right now.” She noticed that Emma was bobbing her head around a lot, not focusing so much on their conversation, but on searching the crowd.

“You on duty tonight?” asked Ruby quizzically as she took in Emma’s attire.

“Nope,” responded Emma with a HUGE grin.

It suddenly dawned on Ruby.

“It’s the 21st of September!”

“Yup!” said Emma excitedly.

“How much longer?”

“Any minute now….”

Emma’s voice trailed off significantly toward the end of the sentence as she saw exactly what, correction, who she was looking for come through the restaurant doors and into the bar.  Emma’s mouth fell open slightly and she stopped and stared at the person that had entered. 

Ruby turned to match the line of Emma’s gaze and smirked, shaking her head at Emma’s sudden lack of ability to respond.

“Well, I’ll just leave you to it then…” smirked Ruby as she stepped away to help some of the other patrons around her.

Emma just nodded dumbly and continued to stare at this person who was looking around the bar area searching for a seat.

The woman was stunning, dressed in a simple, straight, but slightly loose black dress with white piping.  The hair that hung thick and straight past her shoulders was a deep, rich brown and it shone smooth and silky under the lights of the bar.  Occasionally, she would run a hand through it and tuck a few strands behind her ear to keep it away from her face.  Light olive skin hinted at Hispanic and Italian roots.  Brown eyes were offset by thick lashes and perfectly sculpted brows. Her beautiful lips were a deep, rich red that offset the perfect white of her teeth when she smiled politely a few times at some of the patrons at the bar that had bid her a ‘good evening’ as she came in. 

Spotting a seat in the middle of the long side of the bar, the woman sat and took off her overcoat, laying it across her lap.  Ruby approached her and she leaned forward to give her order.  Emma focused on her red lips as she talked and let her mind wander to a scenario that included the woman in question, a shower, soapy skin and tangled tongues and lips.  Emma grinned goofily from her seat at the bar as she closed her eyes and imagined the woman’s lips drawing to her ear, tracing the outer curve with her tongue before whispering,

“Anchor Stout…compliments of the lady at the bar” ……IN RUBY’S VOICE?!?!?!

 _What the fuck?!?!?_ Emma opened her eyes and looked around confused.  Flipping her eyes up, she saw Ruby standing in front of her with a smirk and a pint of local brew that she placed on a napkin before tossing her head in the woman’s direction, rolling her eyes and mumbling something about having to be a part of Emma’s weird shit constantly.  Emma’s eyes darted to the seat at the bar where the woman sat staring at her intently; one eyebrow cocked seductively, her lips slightly upturned into a sexy smile.  Emma simply responded with a cocky smirk and a tip of the glass before taking a drink.   

After the brief exchange, the woman turned to her left, her back to Emma, to engage in a conversation with another patron that had approached.  Emma took the opportunity to grab her glass and slide from her seat at the bar, making her way over to where the woman was sitting.  As she came up behind her, the woman and the patron were bidding each other good evening.  The patron nodded at Emma as well before leaving the two women in very close proximity.

The woman felt Emma’s front brush against her back as Emma slid between her seat and the next and rested her right forearm on the top of the bar.  Both held their respective glasses and Emma made sure to place her glass very close to the woman’s tumbler so that the back of her thumb rested against the back of the woman’s hand.  Leaning in close to the woman’s right ear, Emma could feel the softness of her hair on her cheek and could smell the faint scent of apples and lavender.  She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply before speaking in a low voice meant only for the woman to hear.

“You know, I really shouldn’t accept this.  I am a married woman.”

Turning her head to look over her shoulder at Emma, the woman spoke in a sultry voice.

“Sure you’re not willing to make an exception?”

“What’s your name, beautiful?”

“Regina.”

“Well, Regina, maybe just this once.”

Releasing her glass, Emma placed a cold and slightly damp palm on Regina’s cheek which caused her to part her lips in a surprised gasp.  Emma took the opportunity to capture her lips in a kiss, sucking her lower lip in slightly before releasing it to kiss her again, slipping her tongue gently into Regina’s mouth.  Breaking their kiss, Regina looked into Emma’ green eyes and smiled before saying,

“Your wife is a lucky lady.”

Emma waggled her eyes playfully before responding, “Yes, she is,” earning an eye roll from Regina.

Shaking her head, Regina responded dryly, “Always so smooth, Emma.  And humble.”

“And huuuunnnnnggggrrrrryyyy. I haven’t eaten all day!  I am starving,” whined Emma.  “RUBY!! Please tell me our table ready?”

From the back, the gruff voice of an older woman rang out as she looked through the serving window at the end of the bar.

“Ruby, get these two a table and then tell them to get a room.  They’re scaring off the other patrons.”

“Hey Granny!” Emma waved enthusiastically back at the old woman.

Eugenia Lucas was the Grandmother of Ruby and a force to be reckoned with.  Because of her close friendship with Ruby, Emma had been taken under Eugenia’s wing at an early age.  Aside from Regina, she and Ruby were the closest thing to family that Emma still had in this town.  Being able to call her Granny was a privilege for a select few and both Emma and Regina had earned that right, though Regina preferred to keep her address more formal on most occasions.  Emma’s return acknowledgement was Granny flipping a spatula nonchalantly in the air while turning to amble back into the bowels of the kitchen.

“Come on, let’s get you two love birds seated,” said Ruby as she came around the end of the bar.

Regina and Emma ate a delicious dinner of fresh seafood that had been brought in that day by the boats.  While Regina opted for a more healthy side of vegetables and a Caesar salad, Emma opted for ‘side’ of what could be described as ‘half a cow’ which she consumed with ease. 

Leaning back and rubbing her stomach at the end of dinner, Emma managed to mumble, “much better,” earning a head shake and an eye roll from Regina.  Regina had no idea where her wife could pack away that much food, but somehow she did it and somehow her body remained rock solid and so sexy.

Foregoing dessert, the waitress brought their check to the table.

“Emma, I am going to step outside and get some fresh air while you pay,” informed Regina as she stood.

After a few minutes, Emma stepped out of the restaurant.  Ducking between patrons (the bar and restaurant were in full swing now), Emma managed to break free long enough to see Regina standing on the dock at the wharf, hands resting against the railing.  Her eyes were closed and her head was thrown back slightly.  She was breathing in the salty air with a small smile on her lips.  Emma jogged over to Regina, but stopped short and simply stood behind watching her wife for a few minutes.  Regina’s grin grew as she felt the presence of her wife behind her.  Soon, Emma stood behind her, and placed her hands to the outside of Regina’s on the dock railing.  Regina instinctively leaned back into Emma who wrapped strong arms around her laying her hands protectively over Regina’s tummy.

Emma rubbed her cheek softly against Regina’s and whispered close to her ear while grinning.

“You’re really starting to show.”

“Well, it has been five months, dear.  Please tell me this isn’t the first time you noticed that I am pregnant,” stated Regina sarcastically as she turned to face Emma.

“No.  I pretty much notice every time to you try to extract yourself from my car,” chuckled Emma while crossing her arms over her chest in triumph at her retort.

“The damn thing sits to low.”

“Would you rather I drive the bug?”

“Oh yes,” said Regina dryly as she rolled her eyes, “I prefer that death trap over the current one.  And, by the way, is ‘starting to show’ your nice way of saying ‘getting fat’?”

“No.  I am saying you are beautiful.  And may I remind you that you didn’t seem to mind the car, or the backseat, all that much last week when we were up on the bluffs near the lighthouse.”

“Touché, Officer Swan.  Touché.”

“And, if you are lucky, you just might get a repeat performance tonight.” Emma waggled her eyebrows to make her point.

Voice dripping with sarcasm, Regina looked at Emma squarely.

“Please tell me that our five year anniversary does not end with you trying to get to second base with me in the back seat of your car.”

“Actually, last week, I think I pretty much hit a homer.”  Emma smiled a huge, goofy grin and made like she was casually swinging a bat for deep right field.

Regina clucked her tongue and rolled her eyes, “You’re losing your touch, Officer Swan…I figured you would have called the whole experience a ‘Grand Slam’.”

“Not bad, Dr. Mills, not bad,” responded Emma with a grin and a wink, “but to answer your question, no, I figured we would leave the cars and walk home, if you feel up to it?”

“I think it might be the perfect night for just that.”

Jamming her hands into her pockets, Emma twisted her elbow out towards Regina, allowing her to loop her arm through before drawing her in close to her side. 

Leaning into her wife and hugging her other arm around Emma’s bicep, Regina laid her head on Emma’s shoulder and allowed her wife to guide them home.


	2. We Don't Have To

**September 21, 2015**

Regina’s breaths were coming in pants and gasps as the loving assault of tongue, teeth, and lips alternated between her neck and collarbone.  Her back was pressed firmly against the outside of the front door while the fingers of her left hand tangled in blonde locks encouraging her wife’s continued ministrations.  Her right hand searched the pocket of her overcoat for the house keys.

“Emma….we should…..take this…inside…” she panted.

The last word was spoken more as a groan as Emma’s lips had found a particularly sensitive patch of skin under her ear.  She felt Emma grin against her neck before playfully teasing her.

“What?  You don’t want to just throw caution to the wind and make love here on the porch?’

“Yes, well, we both know how well that turned out last time, don’t we?”

* * *

 

_The night had been really slow and Emma and Graham had been pulled from patrol early and relegated to paperwork catchup.  It was like a fate worse than death as far as Emma was concerned and she knew Graham wasn’t faring much better.  Both of them were already way behind on reports.  It just felt like a lost cause, so she did what she did best, procrastinated a little more._

_Drumming her pen on her stack of papers and files, Emma was staring off into space with her chin in her hand trying to think about anything besides the mountain of paper before her.  She was just trying to recall some stupid fact about the Blue-Footed Boobie (she loved that name) when her stomach growled for about the 15 th time in about as many minutes._

_Looking at the clock, she realized it was past 11PM.  That meant one thing: break time and dinner._

_Searching around her desk, Emma realized quickly that her plan was missing one key element: her dinner._

_“Dammit,” groaned Emma to herself. She had left it home in the fridge and it was leftover lasagna too.  She had been dreaming about the consumption of this slice all shift.  This wasn’t going to work at all.  Grabbing the keys to the cruiser and giving a quick ‘be right back’ to Graham, Emma sprinted out the door, towards the lasagna and, most definitely, away from the paperwork.  Hopping in the cruiser, Emma momentarily considered flipping the lights and siren before concluding that it might be frowned upon for something like a lasagna run.  Obviously, they hadn’t tasted Regina’s lasagna.  Emma opted, instead, to text Regina, not wanting to scare her in case she was off-shift and already in bed._

_Emma arrived at the front door, still trying to extract her keys from the clip on her utility belt when the door opened.  There stood Regina in her scrubs and glasses, Emma’s lunchbox dangling off her finger.  Her eyes were darkened and her lips were curled in a seductive smile._

_“Looking for something Officer?” she teased as she swung the lunchbox gently back and forth in front of Emma._

* * *

 

_Regina had figured out Emma's penchant for her scrubs and reading glasses pretty quickly after they met.  It stood to reason that, if she enjoyed calling her Dr. Mills, she probably enjoyed the uniform that went along with it.  The first few times that Emma saw her wearing one or the other, Regina caught Emma’s eyes wandering over her body a lot.   It took her a few times before she figured out that one or the other triggered the behavior.  Both worn at once brought on a whole other level of distractedness and stuttering._

_Deciding to embark on a little experiment during a slow time at work one day, Regina sent a selfie; her dressed in her scrubs and glasses.   She knew Emma was working, so she wasn’t sure what she might get in reply (or if she would get a reply at all)._

**_Need an exam, Officer?_ **

_It was no more than ten minutes before Emma showed up at the Trauma Center dressed in her uniform.   Popping her head in the doctor’s lounge, Emma found Regina pretty quickly._

_“Hey Dr. Mills!  Got a few minutes to talk?”_

_‘Talking’ actually turned out to be code for ‘a 15-minute quickie in the backseat of the Camaro’ which was soon parked behind the heavy equipment of the hospital construction area. Thankfully, it was Sunday, so the workers weren’t around for the show or the noise.  Regina was pretty sure they had scared off most of the wildlife within a 500 foot radius that day.  When Regina returned to the Trauma Center, several doctors went so far as to ask if she had a fever, noticing the blush on her face and chest.   Dr. Bell, who had seen Emma come inside (and both of them disappear soon after), just laughed and high-fived her as Regina walked past with an embarrassed, but completely satisfied smile._

_From that point on, when Regina wanted things steamy, she just had to pull out the "big guns" and Emma would happily oblige….._

* * *

 

_Emma stood stock still, hand still on her belt, staring at Regina with an open mouth.  It was rare that Regina came home in her scrubs, opting instead to leave them at work to be laundered.  For as much as Regina loved Emma’s uniform (and she most DEFINITELY did), Emma loved Regina in her scrubs even more.  Tonight they were getting the best of both worlds and the air around them was getting very thick with sexual tension, very quickly.  Emma’s mouth gaped open and shut a few times as she tried to find words.  Regina leaned her shoulder casually against the door frame, crossing one arm under her chest to support her other elbow which was bent up and still swinging the lunchbox teasingly.  Her ankles were crossed casually as well and she watched with a smirk as Emma’s eyes travel up and down her body.  Regina knew she had the upper hand and she intended to take full advantage.  Finally lowering the lunchbox to the ground, Regina pushed off the doorframe and stepped toward Emma.  Placing the index finger of her right hand under Emma’s chin, Regina drew her face close; her eyes never leaving Emma’s.  When their lips were close enough to brush, Regina purred,_

_“What’s the matter officer? Pussy got your tongue?”_

_“God, I hope,” was about all Emma managed to get out before she was on Regina, forearms around her thighs, hoisting her so that Regina’s core was pressed firmly against her abs.  Regina’s legs locked around Emma’s waist tightly as she grabbed fistfuls of hair, slamming their mouths together as Emma’s momentum carried them a few steps forward to the wall beside the door where Regina’s back made contact harder than Emma had intended.  Their kiss broke momentarily as Regina threw her head back and drew breath at the impact, but it was only another moment before her lips were back on Emma’s and their tongues were thrusting and swirling in and out of each other’s mouths trying to gain dominance.  Regina was grinding her hips against Emma trying desperately to gain friction.  Her hands were already pulling at the tie of Emma’s uniform, trying to loosen it so she could get to the buttons.  Emma continued to press her body into Regina, keeping her supported with hands that were kneading and grabbing fistfuls of her ass.  Their moaning was starting to escalate as they kissed._

_Emma was the first to draw back from their kiss, squinting as the light from the flashlight blinded her momentarily.  Regina was squinting too, trying to figure out who she needed to strangle for the interruption.  The feeble voice of an elderly gentleman spoke from behind the flashlight as Regina’s face went from one of indignation to complete mortification._

_“Dr. Mills, are you OK?  I thought I heard some kind of a struggle over here.”_

_It was their elderly, almost blind, neighbor Marco who was probably squinting as much at them as they were at him at this instant.  Emma lowered Regina very quietly to the ground and they stood facing each other, Emma twisting her mouth and darting her wide eyes from Regina to the floor and back.  She held her breath as she waited for Regina to respond.  Regina had calmed her breathing, but she still sounded a little like she had run a marathon just a few minutes before._

_“Good evening, Marco.  No, there was no struggle.  I thought there was a…..beaver…..on the porch and this officer was kind enough to stop by and check it out.”_

_Emma scrunched her face in bewilderment as she mouthed the word ‘beaver?’ to Regina. Regina widened her eyes and shrugged her shoulders in response, indicating to Emma that she would be happy to let Emma continue if she felt like she had a better story to offer._

_Marco scratched his head a bit in confusion as if he was trying to sort this whole this out._

_“Oh….well….OK.  I mean, if you say so, but I thought I heard growling.”_

_This time Emma spoke up.  She figured this was her chance to top Regina, since this story had already entered Fantasy Land anyways._

_“Uhhhhh, yep.  That was the beaver.  He seemed pretty pissed.  I think he might have been rabid.”_

_Emma shot Regina a pleased smirk which was answered with an eye roll and a pointed look to stop messing with the older man._

_“Annnnnnnyyyyyywaaaaayyyysss….seems like the beast is gone now and everyone is out of danger, so I should probably get back to the station and write this one up.  Sir, can you find your way home OK?”_

_Marco lowered his flashlight and nodded his head still looking more than a little confused as he turned and shuffled slowly back towards his home._

_Emma turned to Regina with a shit-eating grin on her face completely ready with about 20 snarky comments, all in some way related to a ‘beaver’. Raising her palm to Emma, Regina tutted to stop it before it even started.  Turning on her heel, Regina stepped inside the house with a sexually frustrated sigh.  As the door closed firmly, Emma could hear her wife’s exasperated declaration,_

_“Fuck my life, I need a vibrator!”_

_Eyebrows shooting up, Emma nodded in agreement.  She could use one too right now.  Looking down, though, she saw her lunchbox still sitting on the porch. Maybe the evening wasn’t ending so badly after all……_

* * *

 

“Yeah, good point,” said Emma with a slight cringe.

Undeterred, however, Emma started in again.  This time, Regina held her fingers against Emma’s lips.

“Emma, seriously, we need to get inside.”

“Wow, someone’s needy.”

“Yes, I _need_ to use the restroom.  Dammit, Emma, I have to pee.”

Emma stopped what she was doing and looked into her wife’s eyes.  Her own eyes filling with mischief as a smirk graced her lips.

“That has to be the sexiest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

Rolling her eyes, Regina huffed as she shook the dangling house keys in front of Emma’s face, widening her eyes and pursing her lips to urge Emma to hurry.  It took Emma a few tries to get the key inserted in the lock, because her hands were still shaking and mind was a bit fuzzy from their recent make-out session.  Meanwhile, Regina bobbed from foot to foot behind her.  Opening the door finally, Emma barely managed an ‘after you my queen’ before Regina pushed past her into the house, pressing her purse roughly into Emma’s chest before kicking off her shoes and walking at a pretty good clip towards the half-bath in the hallway.

The whole situation would be funnier, if Emma wasn’t getting woken every hour from her sleep thanks to Regina’s new-found loss of bladder control.  If there was one thing Emma loved more than food, it was sleep.  Well….and sex.  Definitely sex.

Pulling off her boots, Emma made her way to the study to drop off Regina’s purse.  Stepping inside, Emma looked around before depositing the purse on the black leather sofa that sat facing the fireplace.  A deep, grey carpet covered the floor and white bookcases lined most of the walls.  They were filled to overflowing with medical journals, books and publications.

Behind the sofa, also facing the fireplace, was a modern desk with a black leather, high-backed chair behind.  Papers and open books were scattered about the top of the desk along with a 32” computer monitor and a phone that looked like it could program the USS Enterprise.  Emma didn’t spend a lot of time in this room.  Occasionally, she would offer to provide Regina with company when she worked.  ‘Company’ usually translated into Emma falling asleep on the couch, hanging half on-half off while snoring loudly as Regina worked at the desk, rolling her eyes.  With nothing else to do, Emma sauntered over behind the desk to take a look at whatever it was that Regina actually DID do back there. 

‘Look but don’t touch’ had never really been a motto to which Emma subscribed.  Usually, where her eyes went, her hands went too.  It served her well in many situations, but the practice had its pitfalls as well.  As Emma trailed her hands over a few of the items on the desk, she failed to notice a book that had been precariously balanced on the edge.  It was only going to take a nudge, and Emma managed to provide it.  Seeing it start to fall, Emma leaned over the desk quickly to try to catch it.  Pressing forward with too much gusto, Emma’s thighs hit the desk hard which rocked it forward.  The monitor started to tilt with too much vigor and the slight movement of the mouse lit up the screen.  Ignoring the book, Emma decided the better option was to catch the monitor instead.  As she lunged at the monitor, she briefly registered the picture on the screen and thought that it looked suspiciously like…well…boobs.  Abandoning the thought momentarily, she football tackled the monitor, hugged it to her chest and bent over to gently stop the downward progress.  Before she could declare victory, she realized the wires had tangled with those of the phone which plunged to the floor with a sickening crunch.  Emma was still hugging the monitor to her chest when she looked up to see Regina standing in the doorway.

Papers, books, pens, pencils and a broken phone were scattered on the floor around the desk.  In fact, very few of the original items that were on the desk had actually managed to remain.

Emma breathed a deep breath and then sighed out her explanation slash apology.

“Look, I am really sorry about this.  I was trying to catch a book but leaned too far, then the monitor started to tilt and I figured it was more important than some old book.  Then, after I caught the monitor, I figured I was in the clear, but the wires were tangled and the phone fell off the desk and then there was a crunch, but I don’t think it is entirely broken.  I still hear a dial tone actually.  Were those boobs on the screen?”

Emma mustered her best puppy dog eyes and braced for the worst.  Regina was leaning with her shoulder against the doorframe pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers.  The sultry tone from before was now replaced with a tone of exasperation.

“Five minutes, Emma.  You were in here for five minutes and it looks like a tornado hit that side of the room.  Just put the monitor down.  The appropriate term is ‘breasts’ and, yes, I was doing research.”

Pushing off the doorframe, Regina stepped into the room.  Making her way over to the sofa, she sat down and laid her head on the top of the back cushion so that her face was pointed at the ceiling.  She closed her eyes and Emma suspected she might be counting to ten.  Taking advantage of the situation, Emma lowered the monitor to the floor and attempted to walk over to the chair, tripping on a few of the wires, stumbling and falling to the floor with an ‘oomph’ behind the couch before jumping back up to take the last few steps to where Regina was sitting.  She could see the Regina rolling her eyes under her lids.  Coming up behind the sofa, Emma placed the first two fingers of each hand to Regina’s temples, and traced slow, gentle circles.  Regina let out a relaxed breath as a small moan escaped her lips. 

When Emma spoke again, Regina could feel her hot, gentle breath against her mouth and chin as their lips ghosted against each other.

“I really am sorry, Regina.  It was an accident.  If it helps, I am willing to offer myself up as a boobie research subject for the remainder of the evening in an effort to make it up to you.”

Regina couldn’t help but grin and chuckle quietly.

“You are a hot mess, Emma Swan-Mills.”

“Nope.  I am YOUR hot mess, Regina Swan-Mills”

Leaning close to Regina’s ear, Emma whispered, “Now, where were we?”

Emma caught Regina’s lower lip between her own and sucked softly, swiping her tongue gently back and forth along its length.

Reaching up and back, Regina tangled her fingers in Emma’s hair and pulled down to strengthen the kiss.  Opening their mouths, tongues began a slow dance, exploring eagerly and deeply.

As they kissed, Emma slid her hands down Regina’s sides and traced her fingers randomly and softly over Regina’s abdomen eventually sliding up to palm and knead her breasts gently through her dress.  Emma felt Regina’s nipples quickly form into hardened peaks and her index fingers traced circles around them several times earning a low moan from her wife which Emma captured and muffled with her mouth.  Finally breaking their kiss, Emma came around to the front of the couch where Regina now stood.  Turning her back to Emma, Regina reached up to pull her hair to one side, exposing the top of her dress and the zipper at the nape of her neck.

“Unzip me?’

Taking the zipper, Emma pulled down slowly.  With every inch of Regina’s back she exposed, Emma placed a gentle kiss against soft, warm skin.  Eventually, the zipper could go no further and Emma found herself on her knees behind Regina placing open mouthed kisses on the base of her spine as she held onto Regina’s hips.   Smalls bumps had risen on the skin of Regina’s back and she expelled a relaxed sigh.  Taking a step forward, Regina slipped from Emma’s grasp earning a groan from her wife.  Regina walked a few more steps before throwing a glance over her shoulder and winking.

“Be right back.  Don’t go anywhere.” Adding with an exasperated sigh, “And, please, don’t touch anything.”

Once Regina left, Emma set about gathering the papers and books from the floor.  She had just finished arranging them in random piles on the desk when Regina returned.   Emma was so focused on her task that she hadn’t heard Regina reenter the room, but sensing another presence, she finally turned around and was greeted by a sight that almost took her breath away.

Regina wore a pair of black lace panties and a black lace bra, neither of which left much to the imagination.  A black garter belt held stockings that ended in 3” inch heels that Regina had switched to in an effort to provide her back some relief.   Regina’s tummy was no longer flat, but extended and the olive skin was taunt.  A few stretch marks had started starting to appear more prominently, much to Regina’s dismay.  Emma thought they made Regina all the more beautiful, but Regina had a hard time accepting them.  Regina’s breasts had a fullness to them that hadn’t been there previously and her bra was filled very nicely.  Emma could make out Regina’s nipples under the lace.  They were dark and were becoming incredibly sensitive, much to Emma’s and Regina’s pleasant surprise.    

Regina traced the leather on the back of the couch with the fingers of one hand while her eyes shifted uncertainly between the floor and Emma’s face.  Occasionally, she would use her free hand to tuck a few strands of hair behind her ear before lowering her hand to cradle her tummy.  Regina worried her lip between her teeth and Emma could see that the confident woman that had just left the room was now replaced with someone much more shy and uncertain and vulnerable.

Taking a few strides to close the gap between them, Emma crooked her finger under Regina’s chin to lift her face.  Regina’s eyes had fixed themselves on a spot just over Emma’s shoulder and they were brimming with tears.  Regina’s voice was barely above a whisper when she spoke.

“Well, I am afraid that I don’t look anything like I did five years ago.”

A gentle smile played on Emma’s lips as she waited for Regina to finish saying what needed to be said.  She reached up to brush a stray lock of hair behind Regina’s ear as she waited.  Regina had started getting into that emotional roller-coaster stage of her pregnancy and Emma spent a lot of time these days offering support and reassurance.

“Emma, I understand if you don’t want to make love.” Reaching up with her hand, she used her palm to wipe a tear from her cheek.  “I don’t know how you could find this attractive.”

Cupping each of Regina’s cheeks with her hands, Emma brushed her lips softly with her thumb.

“I want you to see how beautiful you are,” breathed Emma as she captured Regina’s lips in a tender kiss.  Emma flicked her tongue lightly on her wife’s lips, a tentative request for entrance that was granted with a hesitant and only slight parting of lips.  Gently, Emma swirled her tongue around Regina’s exploring softly.  Her left hand moved to support Regina’s lower back, just above the lace that rested there; her last two finders slipping inside the waistband to rub slow circles.  Her right hand moved to cradle the back of Regina’s head, fingers gliding through soft hair.  Regina let her head fall back slightly to rest in Emma’s hand, breaking their kiss.  Emma’s lips moved to place light kisses on the underside of Regina’s jaw as her head lulled back.     When Emma reached the curve of Regina’s jaw, she opened her mouth and traced her tongue the remaining distance finding the sensitive patch just below her wife’s ear.  Flicking her tongue several times, Emma brought her lips to Regina’s ear.

“Do you see it yet?”

Not waiting for an answer, Emma ghosted her lips down Regina’s neck and her head fell back further into Emma’s hand so that her face was pointed at the ceiling.  Starting at the hollow at the base of Regina’s neck, Emma traced her tongue up, over the taunt, smooth skin of Regina’s throat.  Reaching Regina’s chin, Emma scraped her teeth softly on the rounded apex.  As she did this, her hand moved from Regina’s back to her shoulder, curling her fingers around the strap of Regina’s bra and sliding it down slowly.   Emma’s lips moved to kiss the place where the strap had been as one palm now moved over Regina’s breast.  Resting her forehead on Regina’s shoulder, Emma watched her own hand as she kneaded Regina’s plump breast softly, careful not to hurt her.  She could feel Regina’s nipple straining against the lace as she brushed the hard bud lightly with each movement of her palm.  As Emma continued, Regina raised her head, turning it to nuzzle her lips and nose into her wife’s hair, “Oh, my Emma….” whispered into blonde curls.

Reaching up with her right hand, Emma slipped the strap off Regina’s other shoulder.   As she did, she raised her head and looked into Regina’s brown eyes.  She wanted so badly to see the fire and passion and desire that she was so accustomed to seeing in her wife.  Emma sat on the arm of the sofa, grasping Regina’s hips and pulling her close so that she stood between Emma’s legs.  Not taking her eyes off Regina’s, Emma used her left index finger to pull a lace cup down and expose Regina’s right nipple.

“I need you to see what I see, Regina.”

Leaning forward slightly, Emma kept Regina’s gaze as she flicked her tongue.  Regina’s eyelids fluttered and she gasped slightly as her sensitive nub felt the quick brush of Emma’s tongue.  Almost immediately, the dark skin surrounding her nipple hardened and Regina’s fingers tangled in her hair, holding Emma gently to her breast.  Continuing to watch her wife’s eyes, Emma flicked her tongue several more times, before parting her mouth slightly, to take Regina’s nipple between soft lips.  She nibbled and sucked softly, alternating between flicks and swirls of her tongue.    Emma closed her eyes, relishing the feeling of her wife’s body which she knew that she could never tire of or see as anything less than perfect. 

“So beautiful,” she whispered between tender sucks and licks.

Standing again, Emma rested her forehead against Regina’s and closed her eyes.  She prayed to the gods that Google Translate wouldn’t fail her and that she would remember what she had learned and repeated countless times to herself in practice.  Drawing a deep breath, she began to kiss Regina, stopping between each kiss to whisper,

“Mi luz.” A soft kiss on the forehead.

“Mi corazon.” Another soft kiss on the lips.

Emma felt her wife gasp against her lips as her brain caught up with what was happening.  Emma was speaking Spanish.  Regina had been taught the language as a child by her parents and spoke fluently, but had rare occasion to use it in Storybrooke, save for a few tourists that might require translation during an unfortunate trip to the Trauma Center during vacation or on the occasion when she lost her cool about something.  In those cases, it was more cursing than actual speaking.  Regardless, her wife had learned Spanish, even if only a few phrases, and they were being spoken to her in a beautiful cadence.  Tears began to well up in her eyes as she realized the words that were being spoken out of true love.

“Mi alma.” Another kiss under her jaw.

A first tear began to slide down her cheek.

“Mi vida.” Another kiss under her jaw on the other side.

Another tear fell.

“Mi todo.”

A last kiss was placed on Regina’s heart before Emma dared to look up at her face, praying for once that she had actually made known her true feelings versus accidently ordering something off the Mexican restaurant menu.  Regina was sobbing and her cheeks were wet.

Stepping behind her wife, Emma encircled her waist with her arms, resting her hands protectively on top of Regina’s tummy.  Reaching up, Emma pulled Regina’s hair to the side, providing full access to the skin on the side of her neck.  As Emma dropped her hand back to Regina’s tummy, Regina sighed and closed her eyes, tilting her head slightly to provide easier access.  She gasped as she felt the brush of lips on her shoulder and felt Emma kissing and sucking gently on her skin.  Her mouth worked its way up Regina’s neck, soft lips brushing the sensitive skin right beneath her lobe. The whole time, Emma’s hands rubbed Regina’s tummy gently in smooth circles. 

Not content to let a beautiful moment pass unchallenged, Emma broke the silence.

“See Dr. Mills. You're so beautiful that you make me want to speak Spanish,” whispered Emma playfully.

 Regina chuckled softly at the goofball that was her wife.

“Swan-Mills.”

“What?”

“Dr. Swan-Mills.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“Me too, Officer Swan.”

“Officer Swan-Mills. It works both ways, baby.”

Regina hesitated a moment more.

“Emma?”

“Yeah baby?”

“You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Tracing fingers lightly over her wife’s belly, Emma laughed quietly,

“I think I am going to have some competition for my title pretty soon.”

“Maybe you can share the title.”

“Hmmmm….that may work out much better,” grinned Emma,

“Regina?”

“Yes my love.”

“Let me show you how beautiful you are.”

Turning in her wife's arms, Regina captured Emma’s lips and they shared a passionate and deep kiss.   Breaking the kiss, Regina's lips upturned in a mischievous smirk.

“Take me to bed, Officer.”

Emma made love to Regina for hours that night, focused only on her wife's pleasure, providing her release again and again and asking nothing in return.   She wanted desperately for Regina to see everything she saw, felt, and knew was beautiful about her.   What Emma received was so much more than she could have ever asked for anyways:  the map of her wife’s body pieced together with lips, tongue, hands, and fingers; the sound of her own name tumbled from her wife's lips in a whisper, gasp, moan, cry and scream;  newfound knowledge of pleasure points previously undiscovered; the sight of a perfect body relaxing and tensing under the ministrations of skilled and sure hands;  the heady scent of apples and lavender, sweat and arousal; the sweet, salty and tangy taste of her wife’s wetness which lingered on her tongue for hours.

In between their love making sessions, Emma wrapped her wife in strong arms, protecting her with whispered ‘I love you’s and gentle kisses.  She would say that she couldn’t remember a more perfect evening, but she would be lying.  The evening before, and the one before that; every night spent in the arms of her girlfriend, then lover, then fiancée, then wife were perfect and she wouldn’t trade one.

* * *

 

It was almost 2:30AM, and Regina was sleeping soundly, her naked back snuggled against Emma’s front.  The evening’s activities had exhausted her and she slept soundly and peacefully in her wife’s arms.  Emma had remained awake, thinking about how her life had taken such a beautiful turn five years and three days before.  She smiled to herself and traced patterns on Regina’s tummy thinking about how much crazier their life was about to become, but, for now, she was content with living and relishing one day at a time.

Carefully slipping from behind Regina so as not to wake her, Emma crawled from their warm bed.  Walking to Regina’s side, she made sure she was safely snugged under the comforter and kissed her temple before making her way to the kitchen for a snack.

Once in the kitchen, she decided on a nice cup of hot cocoa and put on some water to boil, before walking to the study.  Searching the shelves, she found it pressed into one corner; a small photo album that contained only a few pictures and some other momentos, hand selected by Emma and Regina, that reminded them of special moments, good and bad, in their relationship.  Drawing the album from its place on the shelf, Emma returned to the kitchen where she mixed her cocoa, adding a generous dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon to the top.  Hearing a light shuffling behind her, she turned to see Regina standing in the kitchen, rubbing tired eyes.  Her hair was what Emma would describe as “freshly sexed”, not completely tangled, but beautifully mussed.  She had on one of Emma’s oversized, button up Oxfords and panties.  Her feet, which were always cold, sported thick, grey, wool socks.

“Was I making too much noise, baby?”

“No, dear, I just missed my electric blanket,” replied Regina sleepily.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I was making some cocoa.  Would you like some?”

Regina shook her head.  She had never really been a fan of cocoa.  Instead, she drew a big mug of milk and placed it in the microwave to heat.  Standing beside Emma, she wrapped her arms around her waist and laid her head against Emma’s strong shoulder as Emma pressed her lips into her soft, brown hair.

“I was going to look at some pictures.  Want to join me?”

Regina nodded and Emma felt a huge yawn against her shoulder. 

The microwave dinged and Regina extracted her mug.  Emma led them to the couch with entwined hands.  She sat on one end and patted her legs.  Regina curled into Emma’s lap, her forehead pressed into Emma’s neck and her side pressed into Emma’s front.  Emma pulled a blanket from the back of the couch to cover Regina’s legs and keep her warm and they looked down at the album that Emma had placed in Regina’s lap.  Wrapping an arm around Regina’s back to hold her tight, Emma used her other hand to open the album.

_Here we go_ , thought Emma as she looked at the first picture….


	3. The Hostage Situation

**_The picture: Emma is leaned against the side of a police cruiser in her patrol uniform, looking at something quizzically (not the camera) while holding a huge, half eaten burger in her hand and wiping her mouth with a napkin held in the other_ ** _._

**September 19, 2011**

Emma and Graham were sitting in their parked patrol car outside of the Crossbow Bar polishing off the remnants of greasy burgers and fries.  She had to admit, having Graham as a partner wasn’t the worst thing in the world.  The constant bragging about last night’s conquests did get a little old at times, but being around the same age, at least they shared the same taste in food, TV and music and that made for more lively conversation during the slow work hours.  It was certainly a welcome change from her previous partner who talked incessantly about his hunting dogs and fishing.    

It had been a really slow night so far, so both of them jumped when they heard the radio crackle to life.

_All units be advised of possible 10-72 in progress at Storybrooke Medical.  Request drive by if officers in vicinity.  Advise if assistance needed._

_Hostage situation?_ thought Emma and Graham at the same time.  Looking at each other with raised eyebrows and excited grins, Emma reached for the radio as Graham hit the lights and siren and sped towards Storybrooke Medical.

* * *

 

Graham killed the siren as they pulled up to the main entrance of the Trauma Center but left the lights flashing.  Several nurses and techs stood outside the sliding doors, bobbing around and looking through the windows to try to stay attuned to what was going on inside without getting in the middle of it.

Emma stepped out of the passenger side of the car and waited for Graham to meet her before proceeding through the double doors.

Aside from a small cluster of nurses and doctors by the main station, there was no one in the hallway.

Emma and Graham approached the group expecting some or all of them could fill them in.  Graham spoke first

“I’m Officer Humbert and this is Officer Swan.  Who can tell us what’s going on here?  We got a call about a hostage situation?”

A slight woman stepped from behind the desk and caught both Emma and Graham by surprise with her calm demeanor and sense of authority.

“I’m Dr. Mills, Chief of Trauma.  I placed the call.  We have a male patient about 5’ 10”, 180lbs who came in about 30 minutes ago, meth overdose, unresponsive but stable.  We were monitoring and two of the nurses went into Trauma One to record vitals.  He regained consciousness in a rage and grabbed one of the nurses, ordering the other out of the room.  We have attempted to enter the room several times, but he is threatening to harm her if we continue.  We felt the police were better equipped to deal with the situation and placed the call.  Based on my assessment, he crashed after being up for several days.  He’s going to be unpredictable and strong.”

“Only exit to the room is on the main hall?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a name?”

“First name only….Neal”

Graham sighed and looked at Emma,

“Sounds like something right up your alley, huh Swan?  Didn’t you deal with this type of crap all the time in Boston?”

Actually, Emma had been well exposed to this type of scenario in Boston during her year on the SWAT Team.  It was some of the most exciting work she had been a part of, but last month, her adoptive father fell ill in Storybrooke, so she made the sacrifice of returning to care for him and took a job in the SPD to have some income.  Her adoptive Mom had died several years earlier and he had no one else.  Not that Emma had really ever felt a sense of devotion or obligation to any of her foster families (she had been passed around too much to get that attached), but this family had, at least, stuck by her and made sure she got through the Police Academy, so she could try to gain some independence.  She felt that she owed it to her adoptive father to return the favor.  He passed relatively quickly after her arrival and Emma found that their small home on the water in Storybrooke had been passed on to her.  She stayed on, despite having no remaining ties.  The thought of returning to Boston and working back up to the ranks of SWAT sucked and Emma hated the thought of having to reapply and wait for a position that she had fought so hard for, and won, not so long ago.  So she stayed in Storybrooke for the time being to figure out her next move.

“Yeah.  I’ll check it out, so we can determine the next move and backup request.  Hang back in case this one decides to bolt.  The rest of you should go outside and wait until we give the all-clear.”

Graham nodded and moved to the far side of the main hall so he had a better view of the door.  There, he crouched.

“Officer Swan, as Chief of this department, I am obligated to remain with a few of my staff until all of my patients and staff is out of harm’s way.  That is not negotiable, but I will order most of the remaining staff outside as you request.”

Emma knew better than to argue with certain hospital staffers about staying or leaving during these situations.  Hospital policy and their own sense of moral obligation would dictate they remain regardless of the danger.  Dr. Mills would be no different, and Emma had to admire her for it.  At least she had conviction. Or a fucking screw loose.

“Get non-essentials out.  You have two minutes, and then I need whoever remains to get behind the nurses’ station and stay down.”

Emma approached the overly-wide, swinging door that led to Trauma One and waited, pressed against the wall beside the hinges as she watched a few remaining people evacuate down the hall.  When the remaining staff was safely situated behind the desk, she drew her .45 and, pointing it at the floor, shifted forward toward the opening side of the door , looking into the narrow window that ran about half way down.

Whoever was inside had killed the lights, except for the under cabinet lighting near the sink on the left side of the bed.  It emitted enough of a glow that she could make out two figures, a man and a woman.  The male patient sat in a chair beside the bed where he was rocking steadily back and forth, occasionally scratching on his arms or chest and mumbling to himself.  He was dressed in tattered and dirty clothes that were riddled with holes.  The IV ports were still taped to his hands, but led to nowhere; the tubing had been torn out previously.  The female nurse was in scrubs and sat on the floor wedged between the chair and the cabinets, hugging her legs closely to her chest with her forehead on her knees.  She was keeping as still as possible, knowing that sudden movement, or any movement at all, could be perceived as a threat and set him off on another rampage.

Emma signaled to Graham that she was going to enter the room and he nodded once in acknowledgement.

Emma nudged the door with her shoulder, raising her arms at the same time to point her .45 at the male.  He didn’t look up, still lost in whatever paranoid scenario was going through his mind right now.  The nurse looked up at Emma, eyes wide with fear as they flipped back and forth between Emma and the male, waiting for the next reaction.

Once she was inside and the door had closed, Emma spoke calmly, but quietly.

“Neal?”

He continued to rock, holding his head and gripping his fingers in his hair, visibly agitated.  The fingers of his right hand held a scalpel.

Emma tentatively moved to about 10 feet in front of them and in a slightly louder voice, she tried again.

“Neal?”

This time he looked up.  In an instant, he was on his feet grabbing the nurse by the arm, pulling her up and in front of him and placing the scalpel against her neck.

“WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT?  I TOLD YOU PEOPLE TO STOP COMING IN HERE” he screamed at Emma in a rage.

Remaining calm, Emma continued, their conversation could be heard by the few people in the hallway.

“Neal, my name is Officer Swan.  I just want to talk to you.  Why don’t you put that down and let her go and maybe we can talk for a little bit.”

Emma took a tentative step closer, but Neal tensed up and pulled the scalpel in tighter, breaking skin.  Emma saw the trickle of blood from the nick that he had placed.

“STAY BACK!! I’M WARNING YOU!”  Neal was visible shaking in fury; spit being expelled to his chin and the floor with every word spoken.

Emma froze in place.  She couldn’t retreat and leave the woman, but she couldn’t risk moving forward.  Instead, she tried to diffuse the situation with continued conversation.

“Neal, this lady’s done nothing to you.  Why don’t you let her go and we can talk, just the two of us.  I’ll stay with you in here and we can get this sorted out together.”

“YOU DON’T WANT TO HELP!   YOU JUST WANT TO TAKE ME TO JAIL!”

“That’s not true, Neal.  All I want is to get you the help you need and get this lady back to her own family.  I am sure they are worried about her, just like I am sure your family is worried about you.”

“I HAVE NO FAMILY!  THEY DIDN’T WANT ME!  THEY THREW ME OUT!  LEFT ME ON THE STREETS!  DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT’S LIKE?  DO YOU?”

Emma took a deep breath before continuing.

“Yeah, I do.  I was in the foster system most of my life, bounced around between families and group homes.  Yeah, I know what it’s like, but it didn’t give me the right to hurt myself or someone else.  This woman didn’t do anything to you, Neal.  Let her go.”

Emma could tell that Neal was trying to make sense of what she just said.  He hadn’t expected her reply and now he was reconsidering his next move.  His hand dropped slightly as his emotions shifted to a cross between angry and devastated.  He started crying frustratedly behind the nurse.

“Neal, I am going to put this away and you are going to let this woman go and then you and I are going to talk.  OK?”

Emma holstered and locked in her .45.

“Throw the whole belt.”

“What?”

“The whole belt.  Take it off.  Put it over there. Jacket too.  And the vest.”

Neal might be an emotional rollercoaster, but he knew he had the upper hand.  Emma knew he did too, and, once she removed the belt, jacket and vest, she would have no protection and would only be able to rely on her hand-to-hand skills.  She was strong, but controlled fighting at the academy and in the PD gym was a far cry from this.  For a fleeting moment, she questioned how effective she could be against an almost 6 foot, 180lb, amped up guy who felt like he had little to los,e before pushing the thought from her mind and getting refocused.  She had no choice.

Removing her utility belt, jacket and vest, she placed it on the floor about 5 feet from where she was standing before returning to her previous spot and holding up her hands, palms faced towards him.

“OK, Neal, I held up my end of the bargain.  Now, let her go.”

“Anything else on you?”

“No.  I swear.  It’s all over there.”

Dropping his hand, the scalpel fell from his fingers.  He nodded slightly and Emma motioned for the woman to move quickly past her and out the door.  As she passed Emma, Emma could see the look of fear in the nurse’s eyes and Emma tried to offer a small smile of reassurance before flicking her eyes toward the door to hurry the woman away.

Turning back towards Neal, Emma could see that the situation was starting to deteriorate fast.  Without his bargaining chip, Neal felt exposed and vulnerable and that was making him angry again.  He had started to pace and run his hands through his hair roughly.  His face was tightening into a scowl more frequently and he was looking at the floor.

“Neal, let’s talk.  I want to help you.”

Stopping Neal looked up at Emma through his eyelashes.  His face was beet red and his chest was heaving as he seethed with anger.

“I DON’T WANT TO TALK ANYMORE!!!”

With lightning speed, Neal grabbed one of the surgical trays from beside the bed and hurled it at Emma.  Surgical instruments scattered through the air in every direction and the tray came straight at her head.  Emma dodged a split second before it hit her.

In the confusion of the resulting clatter, Emma lunged forward and closed the remaining gap, jumping to place a downward punch to Neal’s nose and face.  Instead, Neal side-stepped, caught Emma mid-air around the waist and twirled, slamming her temple into one of the cabinet doors, shattering the tempered glass before twisting his body back full force and throwing Emma against the thick, metal pole of the surgical light that was anchored into the concrete.

Emma groaned as she took a direct, hard hit to the ribs and crumpled to the ground.  Sensing his chance, Neal took off in a sprint towards the door of the trauma room, but he had hesitated long enough for Emma to get her feet under her and she took off after him, hard on his heels.

Breaking through the door only a few steps in front of Emma, he saw Graham to his left.  As Graham attempted to step into his path, Neal lowered his shoulder and knocked him backwards onto the ground. 

Forward momentum slowed from the force of the block, Neal offered an opportunity to Emma that she didn’t pass up.  Jumping forward, she wrapped her arms around his waist and slammed her shoulder into his back causing Neal to stumble and fall forward.  Emma went with him and fell heavily on his back.  Jumping forward quickly, she straddled his waist, using her weight to keep him pinned to the ground as she twisted an arm behind his back hard.  Neal yelped in pain.

“We could have just talked,” said Emma through gritted teeth.  “Instead, you had to do this the hard way.”

Neal just squirmed and screamed at her from below.

“Get off me, bitch.”

“Humbert,” shouted Emma, “if you’d like to get off your ass now, you can cuff this guy.  I’m done.”

Graham stood up and pulled his cuffs.  Leaning down, he twisted Neal’s other arm behind him before binding them together.  Emma slid to the side and lay on her back on the floor to catch her breath for a moment while Graham yanked Neal to his feet.

“You good, Swan?”

“Yeah.  I think so.”

“That looks pretty nasty,” said Graham, motioning to her forehead, “You should probably get someone to check it out, since you’re already here.  I can get this loser into processing down at the station.  Get checked out, grab your stuff and radio when you are ready.”

“I’m fine, Humbert.”

“It’s not a negotiation, Swan.  It’s an order.”

Emma hated it when Graham pulled rank on her.  They were technically the same rank, but his longer tenure on the force made him the superior officer when orders were being given.

Pushing up from the ground, Emma shot Graham a look before stalking off to the Trauma Room to retrieve her things. 

As she walked through the swinging door, she stopped and surveyed the room.  They got the guy, but the execution left a lot to be desired.  Bending over, Emma pulled her jacket, vest and belt off the floor and placed them on the end of the bed.  She hadn’t noticed that someone else had entered the room.

“He’s right, you know.  You should let me take a look at that for you.”

Turning, Emma saw Dr. Mills standing inside the door looking for a response from Emma.

“I’m sorry about the room.  The woman who was in here, is she alright?”

Regina stepped closer and Emma could see that she was looking at her temple.  With everything that had happened upon their arrival, Emma hadn’t had much of a chance to really look at Dr. Mills, but if Emma hadn’t taken notice before, she was definitely taking notice now.

Dr. Mills’ hair was a deep, rich brown that fell thick and straight to the top of her shoulders.  The ends flipped out slightly, hinting at some natural wave or curl.  Much of it had been tucked behind her ears, but some fell forward to surround her face, a lock falling carelessly over one eye that she tucked away every now and then.  Her eyes were a deep brown that complimented her hair beautifully and they were surrounded by thick, dark lashes.  Her eyebrows were perfectly coiffed and arched.  Her light olive skin had no imperfections, and aside from the deep, red lipstick that she put on her soft, full lips, she wore very little makeup.  On the right side, her upper lip sported a scar, hinting at some long-ago accident that hadn’t been tended properly.  She was about 5’4” and slight, probably no more than 110lbs.  Judging by her toned, but not muscular arms, Emma assumed that the rest of her body was kept in the same manner.  She wore green scrubs, tied at the waist with her top tucked in and a thin necklace sporting a feather pendant.   Emma noticed quickly that there was no sign of a ring or even a tan line suggesting it.  The only thing that Dr. Mills wore that wasn’t doctor-like were the black, teal and pink sneakers on her feet.    Emma would most definitely call her attractive….OK, insanely gorgeous….but she was pulled out of further assessment by the sound of Dr. Mills’ voice which could best be described as, well, sexy.  A slight blush crawled up Emma’s cheeks as she realized that she had been staring, probably a bit too long and blatantly and had missed some of what the doctor has already said.  Shaking her head slightly, Emma recovered her voice,

“I-I’m sorry.  I think my mind wandered for a minute there.  Can you repeat what you said?”

Dr. Mills looked at Emma wondering if her lack of attention was due to her head wound and perhaps an underlying concussion, although she couldn’t help but notice as her new patient’s eyes flickered up and down her body.  Regina didn’t feel threatened or offended, but rather, curious as to the officer’s intent or motivation in doing so.

“Yes, Officer.  I simply said that the nurse will be fine physically.  The cut wasn’t deep enough for stitches.  I think she’ll be fine emotionally as well.  I know her and her family.  She’s strong.  She’ll get the support she needs.  As for the room,” stated Regina while waving her hand in dismissal, “it will survive.”

Stepping around Emma, Dr. Mills stepped to the counter and washed her hands.  Lowering the bed, she spoke again, patting the edge of the mattress nearest to her.

“I really would like to check you out.”

Emma looked at Dr. Mills with a slightly shocked expression.

“Wh-What?”

“Your head.  It’s bleeding.  Let me take a look at it for you.”

Sighing, Emma scolded herself for getting so flustered around this woman and she walked over and sat at the edge of the bed.  Turning back to the cabinets, Dr. Mills opened one of the drawers and put on her black-framed, reading glasses.  Pulling a pair of gloves from the dispenser, she turned back to Emma.

Groaning inwardly, Emma went back to her original thoughts. _Fuck me, she looks even sexier in glasses_.  Scolding herself again, Emma shook her head.  _Pull it together Swan.  There is no reason to believe that this woman is even slightly interested in you or any other woman for that matter, so focus on something else, keep it in your pants, get through this and then go home and enjoy a nice, cold shower_.

Dr. Mills watched Emma closely.  She seemed to be having some sort of internal struggle and her eyes were darting about all over the place.  The officer was purposefully attempting not to make eye contact.

“Actually, this will be a bit easier for both of us, if you can take your hair down.”

Emma looked at Regina confused.

“It makes it easier to separate the hair and see your scalp.”

Emma’s mouth had gone dry, but she managed to croak out, “Oh, OK.”

Reaching up with her right hand, Emma winced noticeably as a pain shot through her ribs and torso.  She quickly lowered her arm and pressed it into her side with a ragged exhale.  Looking over her glasses at Emma’s face, Regina asked,

“You winced when you raised your arm and you are protecting your side now.  Where does it hurt?”

“Somewhere on my ribs and it shoots across.”

“We’ll take a look at that too in a couple of minutes.  For now, let me help.”

Regina stepped close to the bed, her hip leaning against Emma’s outer thigh.  Leaning forward, her cheek was almost brushing Emma’s as her fingers massaged Emma’s hairline at the top of her neck searching for pins.  Emma bowed her head slightly, losing herself for a moment in Dr. Mills’ light touches.  Inhaling deeply, Emma could detect the soft scent of apples and lavender in her hair.  Glancing over, the perfect, olive skin of Dr. Mills’ chest was exposed by the v-neck of her scrubs and Emma could make out the intricate detail of the feather pendant that hung delicately between her collarbones.   The top of her black lace bra could be seen as her shirt fell forward slightly along with a bit of the soft skin of her cleavage.

“I’m sorry, I can’t seem to find the last one,” Regina said softly in Emma’s ear.  Emma’s eyes widened, not realizing how close their faces were in the moment.

Reaching up with her left hand, Emma found and pulled the last pin, shaking her head slightly to release her hair that fell in soft curls over her back and shoulders.

Pulling a fresh tray of equipment from the cabinet, Dr. Mills placed it on the roll cart beside the bed.  She then turned on the lamp and angled it so that she could get a good view of the wound.

“OK, now let’s take a look, Officer Swan.”

“Emma.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Emma.  You can call me Emma, if you want.”

“OK.  Well, let’s take a look then, Emma.”

Dr. Mills carefully parted Emma’s hair at the temple with one hand.  Dipping a cotton swab in saline with the other, Regina stated softly,

“This will be cold, but shouldn’t hurt.  I have to clean the wound of blood and check for glass.”

Working gently, Dr. Mills cleaned the dried blood from the wound and surrounding skin, re-parting Emma’s hair occasionally to reach all of the cuts.

“Well, the good news is that you don’t need stitches and the glass managed to stay in the cabinet door.  There isn’t much I can do to bandage it because of the location, but I think that most of the bleeding has stopped and the wound is clean.  I put some antibiotic ointment on it and will give you more to take home.  Now, I need you to remove your shirt so that I can do a physical exam and x-ray on those ribs.  Is the pain tolerable enough for you to manage on your own or do you need some help?”

“I will try.”

“OK, well, I am right here if you want me.”

_Uh, yes, I want you.  On the bed…on the counter…in some other random place of your choosing…_

Regina turned to the computer and turned the digital x-ray to the side of the bed.  She typed in a few calibrations and settings as she waited for Emma to remove her shirt.

Emma removed her tie clip and placed it in her pocket before loosening and removing her uniform tie.  She attempted to several times to unbutton the tight top button of her shirt collar with her left hand, but , it not being her dominant hand, her attempt was clumsy and unsuccessful.  Reaching up instead with her right hand, Emma fumbled weakly and unsuccessfully with the button a few times before gasping in pain and drawing her arm back down to press her elbow into her side.

“Dr. Mills,” said Emma quietly.

Without looking from the screen, Dr. Mills responded,

“Yes, Emma.”

“I think maybe I will take you up on that offer of help.”

Dr. Mills turned to Emma and gave her a warm, understanding smile.  Rolling her stool over to where Emma sat on the bed, she spoke,

“Regina.”

“I’m sorry?”

“My name is Regina, if you prefer.”

Reaching up, she unbuttoned Emma’s collar before sliding her hands to the next button and then the next.  As she worked, Emma tried to control her breathing, looking around to focus on anything except Regina’s face and eyes.

_Fuck, even her name is sexy._

Emma didn’t even notice that she had finished her work until Regina spoke again,

“I am going to need to loosen your belt and unbutton your pants to untuck your shirt so we can slip it off.”

_Holy Christ.  Just let me get through this exam.  Breathe, Swan, breathe and focus.  She’s a doctor.  She isn’t interested.  She may be married and have kids for all you know._

Emma nodded and held her breath as Regina’s delicate but sure fingers loosened the woven belt of her uniform pants.  Slipping her fingers into the waistband, Regina unbuttoned the top button and then pulled the zipper down.  _God, that seemed like it took forever._   Standing, Regina pulled up on all sides of the shirt to extract the hem from her waistband.  Once untucked, Regina eased the shirt off Emma’s shoulders and let it fall down her arms before loosening the cuffs and slipping them over her hands.   Emma sat in her tank top in front of Regina.

“OK.  Now let’s get you laid back.  I should be able to lift your tank to get the films.”

Again, Emma nodded and, following Regina’s instructions, was able to lie flat relatively easily and painlessly.

“OK.  I am going to slide your tank up under your arms so that I can do a visual exam.  Sorry if my hands are cold,” grinned Regina, “they keep these rooms in deep freeze.”

Dr. Mills wove the hem of Emma’s tank between her fingers and slid her soft, and surprisingly warm, hands up Emma’s sides gently exposing her ribs and strongly muscled abs.  Pushing the material under Emma’s arms, Regina exposed the zip front of Emma’s sports bra as well.  An angry, purple bruise had already stared to appear on Emma’s right side and extended under her bra and below her waistband.  Pulling the light over, Regina leaned close to Emma’s side to examine the bruising.

“Well, I see where the impact occurred, but the bruising extends pretty far.  I need to pull back your bra on this side so I can examine and then capture shots from the start of the bruising till the end, if need be.”

_Fuck my life.  I should have just gathered my stuff, gone home, taken a few aspirin and slept it off.  Instead, I am here with Dr. Drop-Dead-Gorgeous who now wants to take off my bra.  Could my life get any more awkward right now?  You’re a dead man Graham.  I swear._

Emma nodded once more and Regina unzipped her bra, turning it back to expose Emma’s right breast and side.

“Emma, I am going to press with my thumbs up and down your ribcage.  I need you to tell me if you feel any sharp pains, OK?”

Regina placed her palms against Emma’s ribcage.  As soon as their skin made contact, Emma clenched her teeth and tried to think of anything EXCEPT Regina’s soft hands.  It didn’t matter.  Emma’s flesh rose in tiny bumps and her exposed nipple instantly hardened.  Emma turned her head to look at the far left corner of the room so she could completely avoid Regina’s eyes at any cost and try to pass off the whole thing as a temperature problem.

“Emma, does this hurt?”

“N-No.”

“OK, well, I noticed you were holding your breath, so I wanted to be sure.  Just try to relax and breathe normally for me.”

_This is soooooo not working._

Regna probed the top of Emma’s ribcage with her thumbs, pressing and lifting her breast with her other fingers as her thumbs outlined each rib.  As she worked the side of Regina’s finger brushed the side of Emma’s nipple causing the surrounding skin to harden as well.  Eventually, Regina’s fingers brushed over the top and trapped Emma’s nipple between her small and ring finger.  Emma swallowed thickly and continued to focus on the left corner ceiling.  Clenching her jaw tightly, her brow furrowed as a blush crept over her chest and face.

_Think about baseball.  Christ, think about anything other than her hands.  God, I don’t think my brain works anymore._

Regina noted Emma’s reaction and looked at her puzzled, but didn’t say a word.  Looking from her hands to Emma’s face and then back again, Regina bit her lip to suppress a small smile as she realized that Emma wasn’t reacting to the pain.  She was reacting to her touch. 

Now, it was Regina’s turn to become flustered.  Did this woman find her attractive?  Was she just reacting to a touch or was she reacting to Regina’s touch?  Was she just imagining things?  Was she reading something into Emma’s body language that simply wasn’t there?  Was she misreading the whole thing altogether?  Regina was trying to remain objective and focused, but the human side of her wanted it to be true and, she had to admit, Officer Swan was most definitely attractive.   Shaking her head a bit, she brought herself out of her daze and moved her hands to repeat the exam on Emma’s lower rib cage.

“Well, there seems to be no damage above and below the main impact point, so we can focus on that area only.  I think I know where the fracture is, but I need to be sure and this is going to hurt most likely.”

Emma pursed her lips and nodded her head quickly.  As Regina pressed her thumb into the exact location, Emma exhaled hard through gritted teeth, a small whimper escaping with her breath.  She gripped the sheets of the bed with her left fist, knuckles white and face pale.

“There,” was all she could manage to grit out.

“OK.  The worst is over.  That is where we need the image.”

She pulled the scanner over and turned it on.  Watching the monitor, Regina furrowed her brow. 

“You have a couple of fractures visible, but nothing recent.  Have you gotten these during your other calls?”

Regina doubted the answer would be ‘yes’ based on what she perceived to be the age of the breaks.

“No.  One of my foster homes, ” was the flat and emotionless response.

Regina turned her head to look at Emma who had turned her face to look the other way.  Regina was almost nauseated.  What the hell had this woman been through in her life? 

Child abuse cases had been the most difficult for Regina to handle during her studies.  Broken bones, bruises, burns, unspeakable acts committed against infants, toddlers, young children, teenagers.   She had seen it all during her residency in Boston.  Every time she saw it, it came with the same feeling of nausea, disgust and rage.  How could anyone ever lay their hand on something as precious as a child? Luckily, Storybrooke seemed devoid of that behavior and Regina was, frankly, relieved beyond measure.  Seeing Emma, though, bubbled all the old feelings back to the surface.  How could someone, treated like this as a child, grow up still willing to help others like she had today?  Maybe Officer Swan was worth getting to know, even if only as a friend.   

“I see,” stated Regina softly.

“Well, Emma, there is no active fracture on your rib.  The pain is likely due to the muscle and tissue damage you sustained when you hit the post.  Even if the rib was broken, there is not much I can do except tape it, sometimes the pressure helps with the pain.  I can give you a script for some pain killers, but they will likely make you drowsy.  You should consider taking off for a few days to rest.  I really think that will help you the most.  I will provide a doctor’s note for your supervisor.  Now, let’s see if we can get you bandaged up.”

Regina helped Emma roll onto her left side, so her bruised ribs faced the ceiling.  Emma’s cheek rested on the pillow as she stared at the wall opposite them with a blank stare, her previous excitement now replaced by a feeling of defeat that she always seemed to get when she thought about or mentioned the past.  Regina could tell that something had changed in Emma’s demeanor and, for some reason she had an overwhelming need to just lay behind her, kiss her softly on the shoulder, trace her fingers over Emma’s side, tell her that everything would be OK, but she knew that the damage had happened long ago and no amount of words would fix it now, though she wanted so badly to try.

Regina set about taping Emma’s ribs.  She winced only a few times and Regina tried her hardest to be gentle.  As she helped Emma sit up, she caught something in Emma’s eyes that told her that she was starting to return to her old self, that she had managed to lock that pain away again, so it couldn’t get out easily.  Emma grinned a bit as she looked at the tape on her ribs.

“Green, huh?”

“It matches your eyes.”

 _Where did that come from Regina?_   Regina’s eyes widened for an instant as she realized that she had put into words something she hadn’t meant to vocalize.

“Hmmmm,” was all Emma returned with a lop-sided grin, still inspecting the tape woven across her side.

“I had pink, but it didn’t seem to suit you.”

_Holy smokes.  Pull it together Regina and find your filter._

“You’re probably right.”

Looking up, Emma’s and Regina’s eyes locked briefly and both felt their hearts pound in their chests so hard they wondered if the other could hear.  It was Regina that looked away first, stuttering out her next words,

“I-I’ll g-get your prescriptions and note.  Do you need help getting un-…I mean…re-dressed?”

“I will try on my own.”

Regina barely whispered an ‘OK’ before turning on her heel and practically running from the room to get the prescriptions and catch her breath.

By the time she returned, Emma had managed to remove her bra and simply pulled her patrol coat over her tank.  The coat was unzipped in front and Regina could see Emma’s nipples straining against the fabric of the tank underneath.  Emma’s body, the one that she had only thought about clinically at the start of this whole examination, was staring to become a major distraction.  Emma held her other clothing and belt in her hand and shrugged a bit.

“It was just easier doing it this way,” she said sheepishly as she took the papers from Regina.

“Well, it’s a little cold out Officer and I wouldn’t be a very good doctor if I let you walk out this way.”

Stepping close, Regina pulled the two halves of the zipper together at the bottom front of Emma’s coat and pulled the tab up.  Emma looked down, watching Regina’s hand rising toward her face.  She wished that the hand would just release the zipper and continue to rise to tangle in her hair so that she would have the silent approval to lean in and capture those beautiful lips with her own.  Instead, Regina’s hand stopped around mid-chest and dropped back to her side. 

“Thanks, Dr. Mills,” said Emma quietly, looking up through her lashes with a slightly dejected grin.   Maybe in the future she would get her chance to see this beautiful woman again, hopefully, under different circumstances. 

“You’re very welcome, Officer Swan,” replied Regina in a wistful tone that hinted at an opportunity lost.

Emma turned to walk out the door of the Trauma Room when she heard Regina call out to her,

“Officer Swan, take care of yourself out there.”

Emma waved her left hand in the air without turning around; a smile gracing her lips once more.

* * *

 

  **September 21, 2011**

Regina checked herself for about the 100th time in the full length mirror in the bedroom, straightening her dress and repositioning an already perfectly positioned earring.  Regina was flustered and nervous, not because of the proposal that she was discussing with the Chair of the hospital board this evening (she had done the same thing many times before), but because she couldn’t seem to shake the image that kept popping into her head of Officer Emma Swan.  More than once over the course of the last two days, Regina’s mind had drifted to Tuesday evening in the exam room…those green eyes, the blonde hair, the shy smile, the endearing awkwardness….her beautiful body.

In fact, almost every minute that she wasn’t otherwise engaged in something that required her full attention, her mind was occupied with Emma Swan.  She had even surprised herself in the physician’s locker room showers this afternoon as she snapped out of one of her daydreams of Emma to find her own fingers rubbing slowly over her hardened clit while the soapy fingers of her other hand tugged gently at her nipple.

Taking one last minute to consider where Emma might be or what she might be up to or if she was safe, Regina sighed at herself in the mirror.

“I really need something better to do with my evenings.”

Slipping on her coat and grabbing her keys, purse and briefcase, she left the house, locking the door behind her.

* * *

 

Emma lay in her bed, bored out of her mind, and it was only 6PM on Thursday evening.  She got to take Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as medical leave for her injuries.  Combined with Saturday and Sunday which just happened to be her off days this week, it gave Emma a full, five days with…..Absolutely.  Nothing.  To. Do.  Wednesday was much more tolerable, thanks to the pain meds, but she abandoned taking them on Thursday morning when she awoke to find herself sleeping stomach down in the kitchen, her head resting on the bottom edge of the refrigerator, door open, a beer in one hand, a melted carton of rocky road in the other and absolutely no recollection of how the hell she had gotten there.  

 _Mental note: Rocky Road and beer, horrible aftertaste combination and a bitch to get out of clothes and hair_ , thought Emma as she stared at the ceiling.  The pain had dulled considerably anyways and she preferred that feeling to a repeat of last night’s performance.  She’d definitely be keeping that story to herself.

A huge part of her frustration over the past two days was that she couldn’t get Dr. Regina Mills off of her mind….her voice, her smile, her face, her body, her hands….those incredible, red lips.   She had briefly considered shooting herself in the foot just to get to go back to the Trauma Center, but it would be just her luck that Regina wouldn’t be working and she’d get taken care of by some burly doctor dude with bad breath.  Better not to chance it.

She was shaken from her daydreams by the buzzing of her phone beside her.

**Ass up Swan.  Crossbow.  7PM.  -G**

_Finally, something to do, even if it is just drinking with the guys from the station_.  Emma pulled on a pair of skinnies, her boots, and a white tank.  She opted for no bra just to give her ribs a break.  Not wanting to deal with the wandering eyes and snarky comments of her co-workers, she grabbed her red, leather jacket and threw it on to avoid the situation altogether.   Running her hands through her hair several times, she grabbed her keys from the counter before locking the door behind her.


	4. I Need More

**September 21, 2011**

**_The picture: Regina dressed in black, serious look on her face, trying to figure out how to take the selfie, while Emma photo-bombs from behind in her jeans, tank and red jacket_ ** _._

When Emma entered the Crossbow, she saw the guys seated around a larger table littered with full, half-empty and empty pint glasses, mugs, tumblers, shot glasses, and bottles.  They were already neck deep into it and it wasn’t even 7:30PM.  From the way Graham was moving his arms, Emma could tell he was in the middle of a story and everyone was in rapt attention.  As Emma came up behind him, she stopped suddenly and felt her chest constrict a little in anger as she realized what he was talking about.

“…and this Dr. Mills comes out from behind the desk telling us about this loser that has this nurse held hostage.   And, let me tell you, this Mills bitch is like fucking, smokin’ hot.  I definitely wouldn’t have minded bending her over the back of a couch, if you know what I mean.  Hell, if it hadn’t been for Swan getting thrown around in the other room, I would have gotten her number.”

“And, maybe, if you would have been paying attention, your ass wouldn’t have been handed to you like a pussy when that loser plowed into you, “ Emma finished the story, coming off a little more pissed-sounding than she had intended.  Walking to the side of Graham, she grabbed a chair for the table behind and slammed it down on his left.

“Damn, Swan, relax.  I was just explaining to the boys how our Tuesday evening went over at Trauma.”  As Graham finished his sentence, he tipped back his chair, balancing himself on the two legs as he knocked back the rest of the beer in his bottle.  As he brought his head back, he glanced to the door,

“Well, speak of the fucking devil…..”

Almost every head at the table turned toward the door at the finish of his sentence, and, sure enough, walking in was Dr. Regina Mills herself.

_Damn_ , groaned Emma to herself.  She had been trying to forget about this beautiful woman for two, full days and now, here she was, showing up at the one place Emma never expected to see her.  What was worse was that her timing couldn’t be less ideal.  Even if Emma had wanted to talk to Regina, she couldn’t very well do it under the prying eyes of her co-workers.  She assumed they knew she was gay, but didn’t feel the need to announce it to them publicly.  Flicking her eyes at Graham, Emma saw him licking his lips and taking in every inch of Regina.  She knew that his bragging from earlier was going to demand action from the other cops at the table.  Emma was stuck.  If she left, Regina would be at the mercy of these guys.  If she stayed, she would end up guilty by association.  It was a lose-lose as far as she was concerned, but she decided to stick it out, just in case.  She owed Regina at least that much for the kindness she showed her the other day.

Regina wore a black knee-length coat that was buttoned and then tied with a belt at her waist.  Her toned legs were covered in black stockings, ending in 5” black heels with silver adornments.  A black purse hung from one shoulder while a black leather briefcase hung from the other.  She wore more makeup than Emma had seen previously, but it was beautifully done and did nothing but accentuate her already striking features.  The one thing that was the same was the red lipstick that clung to those beautiful lips.

Regina stood at the bar and swayed a bit as if she were looking for someone.  Emma saw her smile and nod as Regina saw who she was looking for and made her way over to him.  It was an older gentleman with grey hair.  He was dressed in a dark, pinstriped business suit and he leaned in to kiss each of Regina’s cheeks as she approached.  Emma immediately thought he was a bit too old and too formal to be a date, but she also wasn’t familiar enough with Regina to know her taste.  Maybe she was into older men.

Nodding his head and holding his hand out, he showed her to their table.  It was far enough away from Emma’s table that they couldn’t be heard, but close enough that everyone could still Regina and the man she was with.  When they got to the table, Regina placed her purse and bag in the chair beside the one she would be using and proceeded to untie and unbutton the coat.  The gentleman took the collar and helped her slip it from her shoulders.  Emma’s eyes went wide and her mouth fell open slightly.  Regina’s dress was black and form fitting with sleeves that ended just above her elbows.  The neckline dipped to a V, showing only a bit of her chest and leaving the rest to the imagination.  The silver, feather pendant hung there against her olive skin.  The best word Emma could find to describe her was elegant.

Her date laid her coat over the chair that held her bags and pulled out her chair for her to sit before taking his own.

_Well, at least he’s a gentleman and knows how to treat her_ , thought Emma as she motioned for the server to bring her a beer.  It happened to be the same woman that was caring for Regina and her date’s table.

After placing their own drink order, Emma watched as Regina pulled two bound folders from her briefcase, handing one to the gentleman and keeping one for herself. 

_Maybe this isn’t a date after all_ , thought Emma hopefully as she watched Regina put on her glasses and begin to review the contents with the man at the table, _and there are those glasses again_.  Emma had no reason to believe she had a shot with Regina, but it was a kind of nice to not have that bubble burst just yet.  Evidently, Graham was coming to the same conclusions about the date as Emma.

“OK, everybody, time to watch the master,” stated Graham cockily as he waved down the server.  “See that beautiful woman over there?” the server nodded, “Take her a glass of Lagavulin and tell her it’s from me.”  Adding for the table, “Scotch makes a woman’s clothes fall off.”  All the guys laughed and Emma just sighed, requesting another beer before the server walked away to fill the order rolling her eyes.

_She doesn’t drink scotch, you asshole.  Cabernet, Merlot, yes.  Chardonnay, Riesling, yes.  But not whiskey_.    While Emma watched the train wreck that was about to occur, she looked for a table to crawl under when this went down. 

Every cop at the table turned their head to watch as the server took the scotch to Regina’s table.  Emma hung her head and looked up through her eyelashes trying to distance herself from these idiots and make herself as inconspicuous as possible.  She watched as the server apologized for the interruption and placed the glass at the table, pointing to Graham to indicate where the order had come from.  As the server moved from her place at their table, Emma saw Regina pull her glasses from her face.  Holding them, she placed the ear piece between her white teeth and red lips and looked directly over to Graham.  Emma bowed her head further and darted her eyes around the floor and table, occasionally looking up to see how things were progressing.  Most of the men were looking back and forth between Regina and Graham as if they were playing a tennis match.

If Regina saw Emma, she showed nothing in her face and eyes to indicate it.  She showed no emotion at all, in fact, as she looked Graham up and down.  Raising his beer bottle, he tipped his head in salud.   Regina kept her gaze on Graham for a moment longer before replacing her glasses and continuing her discussion with the gentleman at the table.

“Shot down, Graham,” chuckled one of the cops when he got a less than positive response.  “Better luck with the next one.”

“Don’t be so quick to count me out.  By morning, I bet you fifty bucks that she will have knelt in front of my altar more than once.  Or, at least, been bent over my couch,” said Graham with a cocky grin.

Emma was only half listening as everyone else at the table laughed and joked and talked about work.  She continued to nurse her beer and flicked her eyes every so often to watch Regina talking and eating at the table.  The light from the candle lit her eyes and skin so beautifully and Emma couldn’t help but wonder what she would look like naked on a blanket in front of a roaring fire, eyes closed, chest heaving as Emma explored every inch of her body with her hands, mouth and tongue.  God, she would love to have the privilege of worshipping that woman’s body, even if just for one night, although she knew deep down that she could never be satisfied with that single encounter.  There was just something about this woman that was different, that made Emma feel different than she ever had with a one-night stand.  This woman felt like more of a ‘one-life stand’. 

_Good God, Emma.  You don’t even know this woman that well and you are already planning your future together._

She noticed that Regina hadn’t touched the scotch, instead opting to sip white wine between small bites of Lobster Thermidor and Caesar salad.  The woman had elevated eating to an art form and Emma loved to watch her pull the fork from her lips before wrapping them gently on the edge of her glass.  Every so often, she would pass the tip of her tongue subtly and lightly over her lips to collect the remnants of the sweetness of the wine.  Eventually, their dinner ended and the man rose while Regina remained seated.  Taking her hand, he leaned down to kiss each of her cheeks before bidding her goodbye and leaving the restaurant.  Regina stood and slipped on her coat, collecting her bags as her server approached the table.  She placed a bottle of beer on top of the table and Regina thanked her with a smile.  Having collected her things, Regina picked up the bottle, turning and walking in the direction of Graham’s party.  One or two of the cops noticed her approach and quickly the entire table quieted with anticipation. 

As Regina drew closer, Graham settled back smugly in his chair, awaiting her arrival and his chance to impress the guys at the table.  Emma leaned forward, forearms on the table and held her, now empty, beer bottle with both hands.  She wanted to occupy them, because the other alternative was punching Graham square in the nose.  She hung her head and looked at the table top, alternating between anger and jealousy.  _How could this sleaze ball be so lucky?_   Emma didn’t even want to imagine how he would degrade her tonight and then brag about it at work tomorrow.  She didn’t deserve that.

Graham smiled broadly, but his face quickly fell into confusion as Regina brushed past behind him, coming to a stop beside Emma.  Emma was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t even noticed that Regina was standing there watching her.  Everyone else at the table had noticed though and was putting the pieces together VERY quickly.

“Officer, can I interest you in another beer?”  Emma felt the empty bottle she was gripping slip from her fingers as it was set aside.  As she looked up confusedly, a new bottle was placed in front of her with a delicate hand.  Quickly she traced the curve of the arm up to those beautiful brown eyes that she hadn’t been expecting to see staring at her.  Regina held her eyes momentarily, one corner of her lip curling only slightly to put Emma at ease.  Regina’s eyes flicked quickly between Emma’s eyes and her lips only once.  It was enough.  Without saying another word, Regina turned on her heels and made her way through the bar and out the door.

Immediately, Emma stood.  She was so focused on finding Regina that she didn’t even give a damn that every guy at the table, including Graham, was looking at her with their mouths hanging open. Moving as quickly as she could, Emma made her way through the throng of patrons that were pressed into the bar area and the slight crowd that had formed by the door awaiting tables.  Once outside, she looked around almost frantically trying to catch site of Regina. 

_Please, where are you? I don’t want to lose this chance again_.  _I don’t want to lose you again._

She saw Regina standing along on the boardwalk that ran the length of the wharf, leaned against the railing, watching a few of the boats coming into the harbor to tie at the docks.  Her chin was lifted and her eyes were closed and the breeze was lifting her hair up and back occasionally.  Emma hurried as fast as she was able down to the boardwalk.  She slowed, afraid she might startle Regina if she approached her too quickly.  She looked perfect standing in the moonlight and the harbor lights.

Standing a couple of steps behind Regina, Emma waited a moment to gather her thoughts.  This woman just seemed to make her brain swirl.  Regina could sense her there and waited for Emma to speak.

“It’s kind of dark.  Maybe you should have someone walk you home.”

“Officer Swan, has Storybrooke really become _that_ dangerous?” teased Regina.  Her eyes were still closed and she was continuing to enjoy the slight breeze of the evening. 

“Did you see the guys I was sitting with?” Emma gave back shyly.

“Point taken.  Perhaps, I should call for a police escort?”

“I think it’s the same guys that are inside drinking, so it might be awhile,” chuckled Emma softly. “Would you….would you settle for me?”

Regina turned to face Emma, opening her eyes and connecting brown with green as Emma continued,

“I am still a little sore, but, I promise, I can protect you.”

In the moment before Emma looked down shyly, twisting her mouth as she would when she was nervous (which seemed to only be around Regina), Regina saw a swirl of beautiful emotion in those green eyes.  Regina suspected that Emma knew how much they gave her away.  Maybe, this was why Emma had a hard time looking at her, because everything that she couldn’t say aloud was written so perfectly right there.  And Regina could read every word.  In that fleeting glance, she already knew that Emma could protect her.  She would protect her and would likely give her infinitely more if Regina was willing to open up and let her step through that door. 

Almost in a whisper, Regina smiled softly and replied,

“I think I’d like that very much.”

* * *

 

They walked towards Regina’s home in a comfortable silence, stealing glances when each thought the other wasn’t looking.  Eventually, Regina took a bold first step and slipped her hand from her own jacket pocket, sliding it in Emma’s jacket pocket and entwining their fingers.  Emma squeezed softly and scooted closer, closing the distance between them, so that their shoulders now rubbed.  Eventually, Regina reached up and wrapped her other hand around Emma’s bicep, pulling her tighter so that she could lean into Emma’s side and rest her head on her shoulder.  She could feel Emma’s body tense only briefly and then relax completely.  Then she felt something….unusual but incredible.  Emma nuzzled her lips and nose into Regina’s hair and she felt Emma breathe in deeply before placing a gentle kiss atop her head.  About the same time, Regina stopped.

Assuming she had done something very wrong, Emma choked out in a stuttering panic, “I-I am so, so sorry.   I shouldn’t have done that.”  Pulling her hands from her pockets and away from Regina’s, Emma paced about frantically and ran her hands through her hair several times trying to figure out how to fix the situation.

_How?  How could I have done that? How did I misread this so badly.  Good job, Swan, way to screw this up._

Regina watched Emma pace for a few moments before managing to grab both of her hands in her own.

“Emma….Emma….stop, please.  You didn’t do anything wrong.  We are at my house.”

Emma looked at Regina and then at the house and then back to Regina…and back to the house.  They had walked awhile and Emma hadn’t really considered that they might eventually make it to Regina’s.  They could have been in Portland at this point for all she cared.  As long as she was with this incredible woman beside her, it was all good.  Regardless, here they were, and now, Emma felt like an even bigger idiot.  Regina placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a quiet laugh.  Emma’s shy and awkward nature just made her all the more endearing.

“Wow.  I always wondered who lived here, “said Emma in awe like a child that had just opened an awesome Christmas present.  The house was partially hidden behind a hedge, but Emma could tell that it was probably pretty big.   Only massive houses had hedges and gates.  Her house most certainly did not.

“Just me.”

“Really?  That’s a lot of house.”

“Yes.  It was willed to me when my parents passed.  It really needs a big family, but it holds too many great memories and I just can’t seem to let that go just yet.”

“I guess I get it,” said Emma shrugging.  She had never really had the privilege of building memories with a family that loved her and wanted her.  Not wanting to dampen the mood, she added, “Who knows? Someday, you might have that big family that the house needs.  Maybe you shouldn’t give it up just yet.”

“Hmmmmm, maybe,” Regina mused before shaking the conversation off and bringing it back to the present.

“Walk me to the door?  You never know what or who could be behind the bushes.”  Regina grinned and winked and that cinched it.  Emma didn’t care if there was a T-Rex behind these bushes; she was going to make sure this woman got into the house safely.  Emma held one of Regina’s hands as she stepped through the gate first, leaning forward a little to check for intruders.  As Emma’s head swiveled from left to right to determine ‘coast clear’, Regina decided to speak….more loudly than she had intended.

“Emma…”

Emma jumped about three feet and whirled around, bear hugging Regina from behind and leaning over her to shield her with her body.  Emma straightened quickly when she realized her mistake and used her hands to try to smooth Regina’s coat and put her back together after almost tackling her.

“Are you always this jumpy?” asked Regina with a twinkle in her eyes. This had to be one of the most unusual dates she had EVER been a part of and she was thoroughly enjoying every minute of it.

“I guess I am just a little nervous this evening, you know, considering the past few days and all.”  Emma’s nerves were most certainly shot to hell and it had nothing to do with the past few days.  It was the beautiful woman beside her.

“Well, if there was someone here, I think you probably scared them off at this point.”   Regina grinned as she walked through the gate, Emma dragging behind a little to scold herself for being such an idiot.  When they reached the front door, Regina unlocked it and opened it slightly, turning to face Emma and taking one of her hands in each of her own again.

“I want to thank you for walking me home and for protecting me from whatever was lurking behind that hedge.  I didn’t see them myself, but I am guessing they were pretty dangerous.”   Regina flashed a beautiful smile and Emma went weak.  She had seen Regina smile at dinner, but this smile, this one was for her and her alone, and it was beautiful.  Emma looked at Regina’s face and directly into her eyes.  Emma took a step closer.  Regina felt her pulse quicken and she drew a breath, holding it as she waited for Emma to speak.  There was only a hair’s breadth between their bodies.  When Emma spoke this time, the tone was smoother and more confident.

“Dr. Mills, I don’t think I ever really got the chance to thank you properly for taking care of me the other day.  I hope I wasn’t too much trouble.”

“It was the least I could do after what you did for us,” was all that Regina managed to whisper.

Leaning in Emma closed a bit more of the space between their faces.  The tips of their noses had passed and their lips were dangerously close.

“It was probably the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

Regina just nodded in reply, unable to find the words needed to form an appropriate response.  When Emma spoke again, her breath ghosted on Regina’s lips.

“I am going to kiss you now.”

Not waiting for any kind of response, Emma leaned forward and pressed her lips gently onto Regina’s.  Her eyes closed as she sought to memorize the shape and softness of Emma’s lips.  They kissed like this for several minutes getting used to each other’s touch.  Emma made the first move this time, swiping her tongue softly against Regina’s upper lip, asking her wordlessly to turn this kiss into something more. As Regina’s lips parted, Emma’s hands moved away, one coming to rest on Regina’s lower back while the other threaded fingers through thick tresses, strong fingers massaging her neck gently as Emma’s warm tongue slipped into her mouth and began to explore.  Regina could feel her stomach flutter as a molten heat started to pool between her thighs.  Her own tongue sought Emma’s eagerly and pressed deeply into her mouth as their kiss spiraled quickly out of control.  The urgency, need and insistence on both sides surged and they both knew that they were quickly reaching a line where, once crossed, there would be no going back on any level.   Before they took that step, Emma needed to be sure that Regina wanted this too, to come willingly with her, mind, body, soul because if there was one thing that Emma realized in this moment, she knew this: she had fallen hard for Dr. Regina Mills and she couldn’t bear to have her heart broken by this woman.

Emma broke the kiss and took a small step back.  She looked at Regina.  Her pupils were blown wide and the green color had darkened considerably.  She was panting and flushed and had an almost pleading look in her eyes.  She could barely speak,

“I need more.  Please tell me you need it too.  Please tell me. ”

Regina went from confused to shock in a second.  This beautiful woman standing before her was asking her permission to go further.  Regina wasn’t sure she had ever felt anything like this in her life.   No one.  No one had ever treated her with so much respect.  More often than not, people simply took from her without asking or giving anything in return.  In that instance, unbeknownst to Emma, Regina came to a realization too.  She knew this: she had fallen hard for Officer Emma Swan.

 

* * *

 

Regina sprang forward, crashing their lips together with fiery intensity.  Immediately, their tongues were swirling deeply in each other’s mouths, exploring frantically.  Regina’s hands fell to Emma’s front where she started to unzip Emma’s jacket by tugging the sides apart.  Not willing to wait for the zipper to release, Regina slipped her hands inside and placed them flat on Emma’s torso. Trailing her fingers down, Regina traced the rigid muscles of her six-pack through her tank before pressing her hands back up to palm each of Emma’s breasts through the fabric.  As soon as Regina’s hands cupped her breasts, Emma released a moan into Regina’s mouth and Regina was pleased to find that the material of the tank was the only barrier between her skin and Emma’s. 

Unable to explore as she wanted, Regina found the zipper and pulled down to open the jacket completely.  Her hands pressed under the hem of Emma’s tank until her fingertips touched the skin at the top of Emma’s hips.  She traced soft circles over sensitive flesh and felt the muscles of Emma’s stomach twitch in response.  Slipping her index fingers under the waistband of Emma’s jeans and boy shorts, she drew the backs of her fingers together and away following the curve of the material and her lower stomach.  The waistband was low enough that Regina’s fingers brushed barely through the top of soft curls with each pass.  Eventually, she slid her hands further under Emma’s tank, stroking the strong muscles with her palms until she found the sides of Emma’s breasts and kneaded them firmly feeling their fullness.   Breaking their kiss, Regina touched her forehead to Emma’s and looked up at her through dark lashes as she allowed her thumbs to brush over hard nipples.   Emma’s mouth was open slightly and her eyes were closed.  She panted heavily and whimpered with each touch of Regina’s thumbs.   Emma’s hands gripped tightly to the sides of Regina’s hips, but soon moved so that her fingers laced into thick brown hair, gripping and releasing in time with Regina’s ministrations.

Emma captured Regina’s lips again and pressed into her a bit, urging Regina inside the house.  They stumbled over the threshold a tangle of arms, hands, tongues and lips.  The door had barely shut behind them when Regina found herself pressed against the back of the door.  Emma’s hands worked quickly to untie her coat and undo the buttons, slipping it off her shoulders and tossing it away.   Sliding her hands between Regina and the door, she found the zipper of her dress at the top of her shoulders.  As she pulled the zipper down, the fingertips of her other hand followed closely behind placing feather light touches on the skin of Regina’s back as it was exposed.  The dragging of Emma’s fingertips caused Regina’s skin to rise in tiny bumps and her gasps and moans were quickly captured and muffled by Emma’s lips.  Emma pulled the dress down over Regina’s arms, sliding it down her torso and over her hips before allowing it to pool on the floor at Regina’s feet.    Emma broke their kiss and stepped back, so that she could take in the exposed beauty of this gorgeous woman.  She was not disappointed.     

Regina stood before Emma in a black, lace bra and matching panties that were so sheer and lacking in material that they left little to Emma’s imagination.  A black garter belt held stockings that ended in those 5” inch heels that Emma would have referred to as ‘fuck me heels’, if it had been anyone else but Regina.    On Regina, they were just another, elegant accent to her flawless body.   She was more perfect than Emma could have ever imagined.

Regina watched Emma as she took in the site before her.   She could see nothing but desire in Emma’s eyes.  When Emma stepped forward again, her lips traced a path along Regina’s jaw to her ear as her hands massaged the small of Regina’s back.  Emma sucked on the sensitive flesh of her neck, just below Regina’s earlobe, earning a breathy sigh and moan as a reward.  As Emma kissed her neck, Regina traced the toe of one shoe up and down Emma’s calf, sliding the inside of her thigh against the outside of Emma’s until Emma reached down to pull Regina’s leg up, so that her thigh was resting on her hip.  Sliding her palm up the outside of Regina’s thigh, Emma’s fingers stroked the back of Regina’s knee up to her hip and back down.  She stopped just briefly at the top of Regina’s leg to press fingers into the flesh of Regina’s ass, fingertips teasingly slipping under the lace on the leg of her panties.  Regina felt Emma’s hot breath on her ear as she spoke,

“You are so beautiful, Dr. Mills”

“And you are so formal.”

“But, you have to admit ‘Dr. Mills’ sounds so sexy, ”whispered Emma teasingly.

“Hmmmmmmm….well, you know what I would find sexy?”

“What?”

“Your clothes on this floor.  Take it all off, Officer Swan. Now. “ finished Regina with a sultry purr.

Emma took a step back and crossed her arms over her torso, grasping both sides of her tank.  In one smooth motion, she lifted it up and over her head, showing Regina everything that her hands had felt just moments before.  Whatever Emma had to imagine, Regina did not.  Emma’s breasts were slightly smaller than her own and firm.  The smooth, lightly tanned skin was tipped with hardened pink nipples surrounded by equally hardened pink skin.  Her abs were rock solid and Regina could see the clear separation of each muscle.  They contracted and twitched as Emma breathed in and out, slowly but heavily.  Regina could see the slight dip of muscles immediately above the waistband of her jeans that followed the curve of her hips.  Emma was looking at Regina with a smirk as she took in Emma’s beautiful upper body.  Any shyness or nervousness that Emma may have felt before was now completely gone.  She most definitely had confidence in the bedroom.

Emma bent at the waist and unzipped her boots before straightening again and kicking them off and to the side. Regina saw Emma’s hands move to her belt, releasing the buckle and pulling the ends apart before bringing her fingers to the button of her jeans.  Emma winked at Regina before popping the button open and pulling down the zipper.   Sliding her hands under the fabric of her jeans and boy shorts, Emma pushed the tight fabric over her muscular rear, hips, thighs and calves before stepping out of them and laying them atop Regina’s coat on the floor.  Emma continued to look at Regina with a cocky grin.

This time, it was Regina that stepped forward, trailing her fingers lightly over the green tape on Emma’s side, looking at the purple, blue, yellow and black of the bruising that was still there. 

“Does it hurt?”

“It looks much worse than it feels, “ said Emma as she traced her fingers over the back of Regina’s hand.  “I had an incredible doctor.”  Looking at Regina directly in the eyes, Emma finished, “I want to have her tonight too.”

Emma’s hand cupped Regina’s cheek; her thumb brushing over slightly parted lips.  Opening wider, Regina wrapped her lips around the digit and sucked gently, never taking her eyes off Emma’s.  Emma’s eyes were wide and she breathed slow, deep, ragged breaths as she watched, her arousal spiking instantaneously as a gush of wetness coated her core.  Regina opened her mouth slightly, letting Emma watch as she flicked the tip of her thumb with her tongue.   As Emma pulled her thumb free, she scraped the pad against Regina’s bottom teeth and ended by tugging Regina’s perfect, red, bottom lip down slightly.

Immediately, Emma stooped, wrapped her arms around Regina’s thighs and hoisted her off the ground.  Regina’s legs encircled Emma’s waist tightly and her arms wrapped around strong shoulders.

“Where should we take this?”

 “The couch?”

“Uh huh, exactly what I was thinking.”

Being unfamiliar with the house, Emma carried Regina in the direction that she pointed and entered a huge living room that opened into an even larger kitchen and dining area.  Every room had floor to ceiling windows overlooking a deck and lush, beautifully manicured backyard which was surrounded by a tall hedge, taller than the front, guaranteeing privacy.  It was beautifully decorated and exactly what Emma would have expected from this beautiful woman.  Stepping to the couch, Emma lowered Regina to the ground before sitting down near one end of the leather sofa and settling back comfortably.  She patted her thighs with her hands, encouraging Regina to sit.

Regina straddled Emma’s thighs, placing a knee to either side of Emma’s hips on the couch.   Her hot, aching core rested on the lower part of Emma’s tummy and, as soon as she made contact, she began to grind her hips slowly, generating some much needed friction.  She could tell that the fabric of her panties was already saturated with her arousal, some of which was being transferred to Emma’s skin.  Feeling more confident with every passing moment,  Regina tangled her fingers in Emma’s blonde locks, pulling Emma’s head back slightly and tipping her chin up as she leaned down to kiss Emma’s slightly parted lips. Taking full control, Regina pressed her tongue deep into Emma’s mouth over and over again.  Emma’s hands squeezed and kneaded Regina’s ass firmly drawing Regina tight against her and keeping her steady as Regina’s hips began to grind more forcefully.   Regina rested her forehead against Emma’s, looking into Emma’s dark green eyes through her lashes and biting her lower lip to stifle her moans that were starting to come with increased frequency.

“I want to hear you, Dr. Mills.  Don’t fight it, “ whispered Emma against her lips as her hand rose to Regina’s shoulder, pulling the strap of her lace bra down.  Emma kissed down Regina’s neck as her head lulled back with a throaty groan.  Emma paused briefly to suck on the skin above Regina’s pulse point before brushing her lips over her collarbone and placing open mouthed kisses on her shoulder.   Reaching behind Regina, Emma opened her bra skillfully with one hand, and Regina released Emma’s hair only long enough to allow her to pull the bra over her arms and discard it.  Threading the fingers of her right hand into Emma’s hair again, Regina held the back of Emma’s head and then leaned forward to place her left hand on the back of the couch, bringing her breast closer to Emma’s lips.   Regina leaned her head forward to look into Emma’s eyes, one side of her mouth curled into a seductive smirk.

Emma kept Regina’s gaze as she flicked her tongue, barely catching the tip of Regina’s right nipple.  Regina’s eyelids fluttered and she gasped slightly as her sensitive nub felt the quick brush of Emma’s tongue.  Almost immediately, the dark skin surrounding her nipple hardened.  Continuing to lock eyes, Emma flicked her tongue several more times, pressing forward slightly each time to catch more and more flesh on her tongue. 

After several teasing strokes, Emma swiped the flat of her tongue against the underside of Regina’s nipple, lifting it slightly before taking the sensitive bud between soft lips.  Emma sucked, gently at first, but quickly increased the pressure urged on by Regina’s hand against her head and her moans that were rapidly increasing in volume.  As she sucked, Emma flicked and swirled her tongue, teasing Regina’s nipple to an almost uncomfortable hardness.    As her mouth worked against sensitive flesh, Emma’s hand moved to support her lower back while her other hand reached to knead Regina’s other breast, lightly pinching her nipple between her thumb and forefinger.

Regina’s hand gripped the back of the couch tightly as she tried to stay grounded.  Her hips jerked and twitched against Emma’s stomach as she sought to soothe, even slightly, the incessant ache that had started to build. 

“I need more, “ she gasped into Emma’s hair trying not to grip it too hard, but unable to let go.  Emma pinched Regina’s nipple harder and twisted it slightly earning a gasp of surprise that was immediately followed by a drawn-out moan.  She then scraped her teeth against Regina’s nipple, nibbling gently for a moment before releasing with a soft pop.  Emma slid her hand from the small of Regina’s back to her neck massaging her gently again.  Watching Regina’s face, Emma reached down with her other hand and un-snapped the clips of the garter from the front and back of each stocking before laying her palm and fingers against Regina’s lower abdomen.  Sliding her hand down Regina’s toned abs, Emma slipped her thumb between them, tracing small, tight circles against Regina’s clit through the fabric of her panties.  She could feel the bud harden and swell instantly in response to her touch. 

“So wet and so ready…” moaned Emma quietly.

Tightening her grip in Emma’s hair, Regina pulled Emma’s head back and again met her eyes.  Emma could see that Regina’s normal color had darkened to almost black and her pupils were blown wide with lust.

“Fuck me, Officer, “demanded Regina in a low growl.

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina’s waist and shoulders as she spun them so that Regina was on her back on the couch, her shoulders against the arm rest.  Emma was now on top of her, one of her thighs pressed tightly against Regina’s core which continued to grind, now more frantically.  Emma began a trail of wet kisses starting at the hollow of Regina’s throat and led down between her breasts.  Emma moved back slightly to continue the trail over Regina’s flat tummy, causing her thigh to lose contact with Regina’s wetness.  She heard Regina release a frustrated moan.  Emma paused to slip her tongue in and out of Regina’s navel several times, before nipping the top of her hip and kneeling between her legs.  Grasping the sides of Regina’s panties and the garter belt, she tugged them over her hips and thighs, sliding them down and off before trailing the fingers of each hand from the outside of Regina’s ankles back up to her thighs.  She made quick work of Regina’s stockings and heels, as well, scattering them on the floor beside the couch before grasping each side of Regina’s waist and pulling her down so that her head now rested on the soft throw pillow at the side of the couch.  Emma lay on her tummy, supporting one of Regina’s thighs on top of each of her shoulders.  Pressing forward slightly, Emma lifted and separated Regina’s thighs so that her hot core was exposed fully for her touch.    Emma could detect the heady essence of Regina’s excitement mixed with apples and lavender.  She closed her eyes momentarily as she tried to memorize what she felt was the most incredible scent that she would ever experience. 

When Emma opened her eyes, she locked them with Regina’s, who was watching her intently, dark eyes showing a silent desperation for Emma’s touch.  She kissed the inside of Regina’s thigh, flicking her tongue several times and grinning against Regina’s skin as she felt her hips grind involuntarily trying to urge the action higher.   Emma nibbled the skin lightly before moving her lips to the inside of Regina’s other thigh to repeat the process, earning the same reaction a second time.   Sliding her tongue further up Regina’s thigh, she could detect a bit of Regina’s wetness.  Emma sighed at the incredible taste and knew that she needed so much more.     Still watching Regina, Emma ran the flat of her tongue over Regina’s smooth, wet, swollen lips collecting the moisture and savoring her fully.  Emma groaned as the salty-sweetness coated her mouth and the vibrations caused Regina to gasp and her hips to jerk with pleasure.    Immediately, she reached to tangle her fingers again in Emma’s hair and grasped the cushion beside her.

Pressing her tongue barely between slick, hot folds, Emma drew it slowly up Regina’s slit.  This time she swirled her tongue several times around the hard bud of Regina’s clit before drawing the stroke back down and slipping her tongue just inside her entrance.   Emma continued this motion over and over, each time pressing forward slightly to put more pressure on Regina’s clit and to press her tongue more fully inside.

After only a few swipes, Regina was bucking hard against Emma’s mouth, causing Emma to wrap her arms around her thighs and place her palms on Regina’s hips to quiet their motion.  Emma focused her attention on Regina’s entrance, plunging her tongue in and out, fighting against the tightness of her walls.  On one stroke, as Emma’s tongue slipped from inside of her, it was replaced in the same rhythm by two fingers, pressing in and stopping only momentarily to allow Regina to adjust to the new sensation before drawing out to the tips and then returning in strong, long, smooth strokes.  Regina’s hips rocked in time with Emma’s fingers, drawing them deep inside of her as she met Emma’s hand over and over.  Regina pulled Emma’s head forward, guiding her where she was needed most.  Emma found Regina’s clit, hard and swollen, and alternated between flat licks and light flicks with the tip of her tongue. Pulling the hardened bud between her lips, Emma sucked the bundle of nerves, swirling her tongue over and over while her hand moved with more urgency.

“Fuck! Don’t stop.  Please don’t stop.  I’m so close, “ begged Regina as she moaned and gasped loudly.  Her hips were moving erratically as she fought to prolong her pleasure but struggled to find release at the same time.

Feeling Regina’s walls beginning to tighten with her impending release, Emma curled her fingers with every pull seeking the one spot that would likely send her tumbling over the edge.  Regina released Emma’s hair and gripped tightly onto the wrist that lay over her hip.  Emma turned her hand palm side up and felt Regina’s palm slide into her own entwining their fingers tightly.  Drawing Regina’s clit firmly into her mouth and teasing it quickly with the tip of her tongue, Emma curled her fingers one last time sending Regina into an explosive orgasm.  Arching her back off the couch, one word spilled from Regina’s lips in a cry that obliterated the silence in every corner of the house,

“EMMA!”

Emma watched her lover come undone, in awe of how beautifully the entire scene unfolded, Regina’s arched back, her parted lips, her heaving chest, her closed eyes; her hand entwined tightly in Emma’s.  It was perfection.  Emma continued to hold Regina’s hand in her own as she rode out the aftershocks of her orgasm, twitching her hips and grinding herself against Emma’s mouth as she continued to tease with her tongue and fingers.  Strong moans slowly graduated into muted whimpers.   Feeling Regina’s movements slowing, Emma removed her fingers and traced long strokes with her tongue from the bottom to the top of her slit, collecting all of the wetness that she could, relishing anew the taste of Regina’s essence.  Emma climbed back up Regina’s spent body placing light kisses against her skin.  Bracing her hands on the couch, Emma hovered over her, face to face, breasts touching lightly.  Bowing her head, Emma’s captured Regina’s lips in a deep, sensual kiss that Emma hoped would convey the swirl of emotions that she was feeling but couldn’t verbalize.  Regina responded, weakly at first, then more insistently as she tasted herself on Emma’s mouth and tongue.  Opening her eyes, Regina looked into dark green one’s that studied her intently with nothing but reverence and adoration.

As they kissed, Emma moved her left leg to the outside of Regina’s, straddling her thigh.  Raising her knee, Regina placed her thigh tightly against Emma’s hot, wet core.  Emma lowered herself to support her weight on her elbows, slipping her forearms under Regina’s shoulders and holding tightly with her hands.  Emma started rolling her hips slowly, spreading her wetness against Regina’s thigh until she could move without resistance.  Regina’s hands wrapped around Emma’s back, delicate fingers tracing random patterns on soft skin before scraping manicured nails gently from the small of her back to her shoulders.  As Regina’s hands moved down again, they massaged the taut muscles of Emma’s back that tightened and relaxed in time with the motion of her hips.  Sliding lower, she grabbed handfuls of Emma’s beautiful ass and squeezed.

Emma moaned into Regina’s mouth as the sensation built steadily between her thighs.  Touching her forehead to Regina’s , she closed her eyes, concentrating on her building pleasure and reveling in the closeness of their bodies, skin on skin, sliding easily and melding into one.  Emma’s breaths were coming hard and Regina could feel the warmth of her exhales against her lips and chin as Emma panted and gasped, open mouthed above her.

Bowing her head, Emma touched her flushed cheek to Regina’s.  She could feel the heat of Emma’s skin and the damp strands of hair that were starting to collect the sweat from her exertion.  Regina felt the heat rising in her core again as Emma whispered her thoughts,

“Fuck, Regina.  I need you.  I have thought about you every day.  You are so beautiful.”

Regina felt the ache building between her thighs again as Emma confirmed that Regina had been on her mind as Emma had been on hers. Regina reached down and urged Emma’s thigh forward against her core, holding it from behind to maintain pressure against her lips and clit.  She slid easily against Emma’s thigh and lifted her hips slightly to place even more pressure against her core, simultaneously pressing further against Emma. 

Emma’s strokes were long and fervent.  She could feel her walls tightening and she gripped Regina’s shoulders tightly to anchor herself.  She laid her damp forehead against Regina’s shoulder, bucking, twitching and jerking her hips as she desperately tried to relieve her aching.

“Oh fuck!  There.  Yes, right there!  Please, Regina, please!” moaned Emma loudly, pleading desperately for her own release. 

Almost immediately, Emma’s words drove Regina to the edge and, as they teetered there only for a moment, Regina cried out,

“COME WITH ME, EMMA!”

And they fell into oblivion together.


	5. Who Is She, Emma?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter on a beautiful Friday! Wishing everyone a great weekend!

**_Picture (Selfie): Emma holds an ice pack against her left cheek and rolls her eyes at the camera as Regina hugs her from behind, looking over her right shoulder with a huge smile on her face._ **

**September 21, 2012**

A low whistle came from behind Emma as she sat with her feet propped on her desk at the station. 

“That must have cost a pretty penny.  Now I know why you’ve been taking so many double shifts,” stated Graham as he looked over Emma’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, but she’s totally worth it.”

“Not going there with you, Swan,” said Graham as he threw up his hands, palms forward and backed away towards his desk to resume his work and leave Emma in silence.

It had taken Graham and Emma awhile to get back into a comfortable working relationship after the events of the previous September 21st.  A heavy, left hook thrown by Emma in the alley behind Granny's a few weeks after the original encounter with her now-girlfriend (following yet another off-handed, drunken comment about Regina and the couch) had sealed the deal of silence about Regina completely.  Emma felt a touch of guilt about his broken tooth.  At the time, Graham wasn't aware that she and Regina were a couple.  That being said, it was an opportunity for Emma to lay the law about how much she was willing to tolerate of his degrading discussions about women, so she took advantage and delivered the message.  At least they still had music and food and movies and other things to talk about, so the conversation didn't really suffer all that much with the dropped subject matter.

Graham was right, though; it had taken a lot of extra shifts at the station these past few weeks to get the down payment for the ring.  She was going to be working many, many more to pay the balance as well.  Emma lived what she considered to be a modest, comfortable life, but her normal paycheck wasn't one that left a lot of cash lying around for frivolous purchases.  Plus, she was spending a lot more these days on movies, dinners, weekend getaways to Portland, Boston, NYC.  She suspected Regina knew how much this stretched her budget because she had offered to pick up the tab a few times, but Emma politely refused, saying she wouldn't be a very good girlfriend if she let Regina do that.  Regardless, Regina found a way to lighten the load sometimes, requesting or suggesting low or no-cost alternative dates like walks in the park or even just eating sandwiches on a bench at the wharf watching the boats chug in.  Emma noticed that those suggestions seemed to always coincide with the end of the month, when money was most tight for her.   She didn't like accepting charity, even in the subtle form it was being offered, but it did help out a bit, so sometimes she just went with it.

Emma turned the small, black box this way and that, checking out Regina’s engagement ring from every angle she could.  She had taken the ring out of the velvet once, but when it fell out of her fingers and she had to crawl around under the desk to find it, she decided it was best if it just stayed encased in the safety of the cushioning.  Luckily, it hadn’t been damaged.

For most, the ring Emma chose would be considered unconventional, or even too simple, for an engagement, a one-and-a-half carat, princess-cut diamond flanked by two, three-quarter carat, princess-cut, deep blue sapphires.  Everything was set in a thick, white gold band that wrapped nicely around the stones.  Even the guy at the jewelry store had tried to convince Emma to get something different, but for him, ‘different’ seemed to be the same ring that every other woman in the world was wearing right now.   Emma just felt like Regina deserved something unique and special, something that said ‘Emma and Regina’.  Since it was their second, September 21st together, the two sapphires just made sense, and Emma prayed that Regina would like the ring as much as she did. 

Shutting the box, Emma glanced at the clock.  It was 4PM and they had reservations at The Crossbow for 7PM.  It was just enough time for her to swing by and drop off the ring to Ruby before heading home to shower (hopefully with Regina) and change.  Emma didn't want to take the chance of losing the ring, forgetting it or Regina seeing it ahead of time, so she figured Ruby could protect it for a few hours and then hand it off to her during dinner.  September 21st had a huge significance for her and Regina, so it was tonight or wait another year. Basically, this evening was a ‘no-miss’.

Emma swung by The Crossbow and handed Ruby the ring personally before heading to Regina’s.  She had pretty much been calling Regina’s place home for about 11 months now and most of the important items, like clothes, toiletries and a very few, random artifacts from her past, had been gradually moved over, so that trips back to her inherited home were few and far between.  A 'yes' tonight would allow her to safely put it on the market and be done with it altogether.  The man and woman had been kind and decent to Emma, but they were never really ‘her family’ and, at the end of the day, the house was a roof and walls; nothing more, nothing less and nothing to get sentimental about.  Regina’s house, on the other hand, had such a different history.  It held so many beautiful memories of love and family for Regina and, from the talk they had very recently, the house held promise of a future family and all the things that Emma and Regina had only dared to dream they might have, if they ever found the right person.  Emma liked the house and she kind of hoped that Regina would want to remain, but if she felt differently, they would make that decision and take that step forward together.  

Emma knew exactly where the money from the sale of her own house would go.  She and Regina would use it to start their own family when they decided that the time was right.   Emma didn’t know a ton about the process yet, but she knew it would not be easy, quick or cheap, so she wanted to be prepared.  Extra shifts would definitely fall way short of covering THAT expense. 

* * *

 

_Emma and Regina lay in bed on their stomachs, naked, except for the thin sheet that was pulled over them both, up to the waist.  It was one of those unusually warm late-August nights and they were covered in a light sheen of sweat, the combined effect of their previous exertions and the humidity.  Their heads were turned on the pillows so that they faced each other.  They entwined their fingers and held hands tightly in the small gap that remained between them._

_Emma’s eyes were closed and strands of her long, blonde hair clung to her cheeks, forehead, shoulders and back, held in place by the light perspiration that Regina could see shining on her skin in the moonlight._

_“Are you asleep?” Regina whispered as she brushed a strand of hair from Emma’s cheek._

_“Yes.” replied Emma immediately.  She grinned, but didn’t open her eyes.  She figured she would try to lighten the mood.  There had been a hesitance in Regina’s lovemaking that evening and Emma knew that something was bothering her.  She had felt Regina’s eyes on her for a while now and she could sense that Regina wanted to talk about something from the few times she had drawn breath to speak but hadn’t followed through.   Regina managed to smile a bit at her response._

_“Mentirosa,” replied Regina softly._

_“Uh oh, whipping out the Spanish on me, that can’t be good,” Emma opened her eyes and winked at Regina and she smiled, “and I do know that means ‘liar’.”_

_“I’m impressed.”_

_“I have to be able to keep up with you.  I am becoming a real whiz at Google Translate….”  Emma wagged her eyebrows playfully._

_Regina continued to smile as she looked into Emma’s eyes.  She could make out the green color thanks to the moonlight that was streaming in the windows. There was a sparkle of warmth and kindness and love and safety there that told Regina she could talk to Emma about anything without fear or hesitation._

_Regina had struggled with how to broach this topic since last weekend, partially, because she thought it might scare Emma into thinking that things were moving too fast-too soon and, partially, because she was afraid of what the blonde would say.  But this was important to Regina; it actually meant everything to her, and if Emma wasn't on-board, well, they may have found that their perfect relationship had an Achilles' Heel._

* * *

_The previous weekend Regina and Emma had been invited to attend a birthday party for the toddler of Dr. Bell and her wife.  As would be expected, there was a very large crowd of little ones to interact with, entertain and keep track of.  Regina had spent most of her time playing games with the children giving hugs and kisses until her arms hurt and her cheeks ached from smiling. When she wasn't playing, she was carrying a child in her arms or slung on her hip as she talked to the large contingent of, mainly female, parents.  On the few occasions when she could come up for air, she saw that Emma had distanced herself from many of the guests, opting to stay quietly propped in isolated doorways that weren't being used by party-goers or wandering to parts of the yard where no one was to look up into the trees or sky.  She seemed to be looking for ways to be invisible in full view.   When a few parents had approached her, she smiled politely enough and engaged them in conversation sometimes even with laughter, but Emma looked almost constantly nervous, doubly so, if they had managed to wrangle their children over to talk with her.   Regina noticed that Emma had made no attempt to play with, carry or even high-five (her seemingly favorite greeting) any of the kids, not even a pat on the head.  Even Dr. Bell could sense that something was going on._

_"What's up with Emma, Regina?" asked Meghan in her thick, Australian accent._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"She just seems, I don't know, 'off' today, not like her normal self."_

_"I am sure that she is fine."_

_"She’s just never this quiet and withdrawn.  I know it’s none of my business, but did you two have a fight?"_

_Regina shook her head as she watched Emma weave in and out of a group of children as if they had the plague and the slightest touch would give her a rash.  She settled herself on the ground, beneath a tree, mostly out of the view of others to eat by herself in silence._

_"Maybe she's just overwhelmed with all the adults and children, Regina," offered Meghan helpfully._

_Dr. Bell could tell that her observation wasn't new information to Regina and Regina's faced showed that the situation was more than a little concerning for her._

_"Maybe....." Regina trailed off as she continued to watch Emma._

_Meghan squeezed Regina's forearm before turning to walk away, not waiting for a finished response.  Meghan didn't really want to vocalize what she had already surmised.  She could see it with her own two eyes.  The problem was one of two things: either Emma didn't like children or she was terrified of them.   Meghan hoped for Regina's sake that it was the latter.   She knew that Regina would be the best possible person to have at your side, if you wanted to get over a fear of children.  If it was the former, though, Regina was going to be devastated.   Regina had talked about wanting children since Med School.  She couldn't see Regina sacrificing that dream, no matter who she was with or how fiercely she loved them._

_Regina continued to bounce one of the children on her hip as he slumbered on her shoulder, and she rested her cheek on his soft hair.  She kept her eyes trained on Emma who was eating slowly and quietly under the tree looking at nothing and twisting her mouth in thought when she wasn’t chewing._

_Regina was about to step over to talk to Emma when she felt a hand on her shoulder._

_"Regina, hey, long time, no see....." came the voice of one of the parents that she hadn't yet talked to, and she realized her opportunity had been lost. It was almost an hour later when Regina managed to break away from the talkative woman who had demanded her full attention.  By this time, most of the guests had left to take exhausted children home for naps.  She looked around the yard for Emma and, not seeing her, went inside assuming she would be there.  She found Dr. Bell in the kitchen. She had just closed the door behind the last guests and was trying, unsuccessfully, to arrange the chaotic mess in her kitchen into some kind of order._

_“Meghan, have you seen Emma?” asked Regina softly._

_“She came through about 30 minutes ago and asked me to tell you that she had gotten called into work.”_

_Regina looked at Meghan with a quizzical expression and her face fell._

_“She doesn’t get ‘called in’.  She ran.”_

_Meghan could see the tears welling up in Regina’s eyes._

_“Let’s open a bottle of red.  Kate and Spence are napping, and probably will be till tomorrow after this party, and I don’t even want to look at this kitchen right now.  I was just thinking that we haven’t had a good talk in a long time, and we need to get caught up.” Meghan grabbed a bottle and two glasses and slung her arm over Regina’s shoulders.  Touching her forehead to Regina’s temple, Meghan grinned at her best friend and placed a kiss on her head before steering her into the living room for a heart-to-heart. They were still talking after an hour and a half and had already emptied the first bottle of wine.  It truly was starting to feel like they were back in Med School, consoling one or the other over someone or something._

_“What if she doesn’t like or want children, Meghan?” Regina choked out between sobs._

_“Regina, Emma doesn’t strike me as someone that ‘dislikes’ anybody.  Frankly, she looked scared as hell each time I saw her,” adding with a chuckle, “Kate told me that Spence wrapped his arms around her leg to hug her and she thought Emma was going to shit her pants.  She said Emma looked like a deer caught in headlights.  Not everyone’s as good with kids as you are.  Why do you think we all pass those cases off to you,” Meghan winked and smirked at Regina as if she had just shared a state secret._

_“I hope you’re right, Meghan,” said Regina as she wiped her eyes and took a calming sip of wine._

_Patting Regina’s hand that lay on top of the couch, Meghan finished,_

_“Give her some space for a few days.  A party with 20 small children is enough to make anyone run.  Crikey, I almost ran a few times myself today, “Meghan said with a chuckle, finally adding more seriously,_

_“Regina, you will need to talk to her about this though.  I know how important having a child is to you, and you need to put your mind at ease either way.  I don’t want to see you hurt, but having children is too big a deal for you to think about letting your dream go.  For anyone.”_

_Regina looked at Meghan and nodded with a small smile._

_“Remind me again why we didn’t sleep together in Med School?”_

_Meghan pushed herself off the couch._

_“Because you may be Latin, but there was no way you were going to be able to handle Australia.”_

_Meghan motioned to herself and then winked over her shoulder, before swaying her hips sexily and moving to the kitchen for another bottle of wine.  Behind her, Regina just smiled and laughed._

* * *

_Regina took a deep breath and grasped Emma’s hand as she tried to keep herself grounded and steady for the exchange that was about to follow. She had promised herself that she wouldn’t cry, no matter what happened or what was said.  Better to just figure it out now and deal with the fallout than to let it go further._

_“Emma?”_

_“Yeah, baby.”_

_“I want children.”_

_Emma looked at Regina confused._

_“R-R-Right now?”_

_“No, Emma, not this instant, but someday in the future.  It’s something that’s very important to me and I am afraid you may not want the same thing.  I mean, I saw you, at the party last weekend.  You didn’t even interact with the kids.  You were so distant with them and with me.  I know you didn’t get called into work.  You left, and I need to know why. “_

_Emma fidgeted and tried to pull her hand from Regina’s grasp.  Regina just gripped her hand tighter.  She wasn’t letting Emma slip away without getting an answer._

_“I’m scared of children, Regina,” Emma’s voice was barely above a whisper._

_Regina’s thumb traced soothing circles over Emma’s knuckles trying to encourage her to continue.  Emma’s voice was soft and unsure._

_“It’s not like I have had a lot of experience with them.  You’re a total natural and I feel so awkward compared to you.  I held a baby.  Once.  Someone that I worked with in Boston brought their one-month old baby to the station.  They asked me if I wanted to hold it.  I didn’t want to say no, because I didn’t want them to feel bad, but I didn’t know what I was doing.  They just handed it to me and didn’t tell me what to do.  I thought I was holding it right.  I don’t know, maybe I wasn’t.  I tried everything I could think of, I promise I did, but it wouldn’t stop crying.  The guys all laughed.  They thought it was funny that I was a woman, but I couldn’t do something as simple as stop a baby from crying.  I guess I should have known how, but I didn’t.”  Suddenly, Emma looked at Regina, eyes filled with fear and panic, “Oh god, I hope I didn’t hurt it.  You don’t think I accidently hurt it do you?”_

_“Emma, a one-month old baby can’t see very well.  They rely on touch and scent to know where they are and who they are with.  You were unfamiliar.  That was all.  I seriously doubt you did anything wrong.”_

_Emma shook her head and continued,_

_“It’s not like I got a lot of experience with younger kids in my foster homes.  I was usually there because they couldn’t have a baby and, if they did end up getting pregnant, I was given back to the group home before it was born.  They didn’t need me anymore; once they found out they were going to have their own child.”_

_Emma continued to look at Regina, but her eyes were distant and unfocused as she talked.  She spoke with such emotional detachment like they were scenes from someone else’s life._

_“In the group homes, I didn’t get close to most of the kids.  They came and went so often that no one bothered creating any lasting relationships.  The small ones were always the first to be adopted.  The rest of us just spent our days hoping that we would get the same chance and protected what little stuff we had from the other, bigger kids.”_

_Regina’s heart was breaking as Emma spoke about her past, but she was careful not to allow her eyes to show pity, only understanding.  She thought about the x-rays of Emma almost a year before, old wounds now hidden away by a strong body and a kind, gentle spirit.  Regina wondered how many abuses Emma had suffered as she passed like a commodity, wanted and then unwanted, between families and a system that didn’t care.  It was so different from what Regina had experienced as a child, understanding, acceptance, and a constant undercurrent of unconditional support._

_Regina realized that what had always come naturally to her, the ability to give and receive love and comfort, was something that Emma had struggled to learn how to do on her own.  Emma had poor role models at best.  Bad experience after bad experience had simply made her afraid and unsure._

_“I am sure you’ve interacted with children while you have been in law enforcement.  I am sure you helped them.”_

_“My partners,” said Emma with a small shrug, “they have always talked to the kids while I have dealt with the adults.  I am lucky, I guess. They just automatically seem to go to the kids.  Maybe it’s because they have families.  I don’t know.  When I was on SWAT for a year, I didn’t have a lot of encounters with kids.  It’s not like there are a lot of 3-year old, drug kingpins or drive-bys and standoffs involving trikes.”_

_“I see.” Regina was quiet and looked at their clasped hands as she considered Emma’s responses, trying to figure out whether she had her answer yet or not.  She felt Emma squeeze her hand and she looked up into those emerald green eyes with confusion and sadness._

_“You asked why I left, Regina.   I didn’t know how to tell you and I thought I would be OK.  I have never talked to anyone about the fact that they scare me.  It was just easier to avoid them.  There was no real way of doing that at a party with 20 kids though.  I was overwhelmed and scared and I ran, because it was easy.  I shouldn’t have waited this long to talk to you about it, though.  I can see that it bothered you and I never meant for you to be sad or afraid.”_

_“I need to know what you want, Emma.”  Regina was on the verge of tears and her chin was trembling as she waited for the answer that she dreaded._

_Emma released Regina’s hand and cupped her face, brushing her thumb gently over Regina’s cheek.  She breathed in deeply before she spoke._

_“I want to build a family with you Regina.  I want to fill this house with children; children who never have to question if they are are loved or wanted or safe or protected.  I want you to be a Mom and have the family that you have always dreamed of.”  Emma chewed her lip nervously, “Because, honestly, ever since I met you, I realize that I want that too. More than I ever thought I would.  I want us to do it together.  I can’t guarantee how good I will be at it.  I don’t know what I am doing, obviously, and I am scared as hell, but I promise that I will try.  I just need you to be patient with me.”_

_By this point, Regina was actively sobbing into Emma’s palm as a wave of relief and happiness crashed through her.  She was going to have the family she always dreamed of with the love of her life by her side._

_“Oh, Emma, we’ll figure it all out together.”_

_Leaning forward, Regina placed her lips against Emma’s as she rolled them both gently, so that she could lie atop her lover.  They kissed gently for a few minutes, tongues exploring mouths before Regina moved her lips to Emma’s cheek.  As her lips traced a light path along Emma’s jaw, she whispered,_

_“Let me take care of you, Emma.  Let me be the one that loves you completely.  Let me be the one that protects you.  You are safe here. You’re safe with me.  I won’t let you go.  You will always be wanted….”_

_Tears fell from the corners of Emma’s eyes into her hair as she gave herself completely to Regina.  This time, there was no hesitation, just complete, silent devotion and commitment to each other of everything they had to give.  As Emma cried out, her back arched off the bed and her fingers in Regina’s hair, she felt a weight of the past being lifted and promise of everything the future held._

* * *

Regina looked at the clock in the break room.  It was 5:30PM and she was already two and a half hours late leaving for home.   A few, late, Trauma cases required her attention for much longer than she had intended.     The whole day had been a non-stop, steady stream of patients and Regina was exhausted.   Last time she had been this exhausted, she pushed herself too far and ended up with pneumonia.  Emma had been a good sport about taking care of her, but Regina knew she had been a poor patient and she didn’t want to put herself, or Emma, through that again. 

At this point, by the time she got home, she would have no more than one hour to shower, dress and get ready for dinner.  As much as she was looking forward their anniversary dinner, the thought of eating a home-cooked meal, snuggling up with Emma on the couch and watching a movie had a certain draw as well. 

Luckily, Regina had bought everything the previous day that they would need to make lasagna, so it would be an easy and quick option for dinner. 

As she threw her duffle in the Benz, she wondered how open Emma would be to a change of plans. 

* * *

 Emma had just finished dressing in her standard jeans and tank and was stepping from the bedroom toweling her damp hair when she heard the front door open.

“Hey baby, you’re kinda late today.  I hope you remember that we have reservations at The Crossbow at 7PM.”

“Emma, about that….”  Emma felt her heart drop a little and she held her breath as she waited for what Regina was going to say next, “I know it’s our anniversary, but what would you think about us just staying home tonight, making lasagna, watching a movie and cuddling on the couch?”

Regina looked at Emma hopefully, and Emma stood, staring at Regina trying to figure out what to say.  She could see that dark circles had formed under Regina’s eyes from her exhaustion.  Last time Regina looked like this, she insisted on going to work and ended up with pneumonia.  Emma couldn’t very well demand that Regina go to dinner if she wasn’t feeling well and she definitely didn’t want her sick like that again; Regina could be kind of crabby when she was ill.  At the same time, the change of plans meant that she was now at home and the engagement ring was at The Crossbow.  She needed a Plan B.

“I…..uhhhh…..ummmmmm…..”

“Emma, we can go to dinner.  It’s OK,” Regina mustered a tired smile to show that she would play along if it meant that much to her lover.

As Regina stepped towards the bedroom, Emma grabbed her bicep gently and stopped her.

“Regina, no, uhhhhh, it’s OK.  We can, uhhhhhhh, make something here.” Offered Emma with a hesitant smile.

“Thank you, Emma.  I have everything we need to cook dinner.  It won’t take long; just let me get changed into something more comfortable. “

As soon as Regina was out of sight in the bedroom, Emma was fumbling for her phone and searching for Ruby’s contact information. 

**Ruby! Regina wants to cook dinner here and stay in.  I need you to bring me the ring.**

**Way busy Emma.  Granny won’t let me leave.**

**Meet half way?**

**Arrrggghhhhh, hang on….**

Emma shifted her eyes between the bedroom door and the screen, waiting for Ruby’s text.  She needed to solidify this plan quickly.

**Ashley will meet you on break.  Gave her your number.  She’ll text soon with location.  Be ready.  Best I can do.  Sorry** **L**

**U R a life saver, Rubes!**

Emma began gathering the ingredients for the lasagna, mainly to keep her occupied as she awaited further instructions from Ashley.  Finally, she felt the vibration in her back pocket and extracted her phone to read the text.  There was no name at the top, just a Storybrooke exchange, so it had to be Ashley.  At least, Emma hoped and prayed that it was.

**I think I have something you need right now.**

Emma breathed a relieved sigh as she realized that, indeed, it was Ashley.  Hopefully, they would get this settled quickly.

**Yes, you do.**

**I am getting ready to go on break.  Want to meet?**

**Need to make an excuse to leave for a bit.**

**Meet me at running trail lot.**

**I don’t have much time.**

**Me neither.  Don’t worry.  We’ll make it quick.**

As Regina exited the bedroom, Emma hastily stuffed her phone in her pocket, but not before the movement caught Regina’s eye.

“Everything OK, Emma?”  Regina could see that Emma was extremely nervous and fidgety.

“Uhhhhh, yeah.  Wrong number.”

“Oh, OK,” Regina continued to look at Emma skeptically as Emma hastily turned to continue gathering the ingredients for the lasagna.  Regina was interrupted by the ringing of the phone in her office.

“Let me get that, this shift may need some info on one of my patients.”

“No problem,” said Emma without turning around.

Emma listened for Regina’s footsteps to retreat to the office and for the brief greeting that started the call before sitting down quickly to pull on her boots.  As she sat, her phone jabbed her in the hip, so she extracted it and laid it on the counter, it was unlocked and Ashley’s texts showed brightly on the screen.  Standing up, Emma called towards the office,

“Regina, I think there are a few ingredients missing.  I am going to run to the market real quick and get them.  I won’t be long.”

Not waiting for a response, Emma grabbed her keys and her jacket and headed for the door.  She jumped in the cruiser, so focused on getting to Ashley that she forgot to pick up her phone from the counter.

Regina exited the office about twenty minutes later, calling to Emma, hoping that by some chance she hadn’t left,

“Emma, everything should be here…..” Regina sighed as she realized Emma was already gone.

Regina found the remaining ingredients that Emma must have thought were missing and was starting prep when she heard a phone buzzing insistently.  She saw Emma’s phone open and unlocked on the counter.  Picking it up, she saw no name, just a Storybrooke number and the text,

**I am here and waiting for you.**

Scrolling up, Regina read the few texts from start to finish as a wave of nausea washed over her.

She thought back to the last few weeks and to Emma’s odd behavior this evening; extra shifts, late nights, hiding her phone, excuses of wrong numbers and, now, these texts.

Furious, Regina grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a note which she banged down beside the phone.  Grabbing her keys, she slammed the front door and got in the Benz, popping it into ‘Reverse’ and quickly exiting the driveway.

* * *

 

Emma frowned as she saw Regina pulling from the driveway.  As Regina turned her head to look for on-coming cars, Emma caught her eyes.  They were blazing with fury.  Regina’s tires squealed as she took off down the road. 

 _Maybe the Center needed her to come back in for a few minutes_ , thought Emma as she put the cruiser in park and headed up to the house.

Entering the kitchen, Emma saw her phone on the island, a note beside written in big, bold letters. 

**FUCK YOU EMMA! PACK YOUR STUFF AND GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!**

Grabbing her phone and the note, Emma sprinted out the door.  She hopped back in the cruiser and headed quickly in the same direction that she saw Regina leaving just a few minutes earlier.

* * *

 

Emma caught up with Regina as she turned onto the road leading up to the bluffs.  Not many knew about this small, two-lane road except the Coast Guard and a few adventurous teenagers that used the location as a make-out point every so often.  Even Emma and Regina had indulged in a little bit of fun on a few occasions.  Emma sped up and passed the Mercedes.  They were almost to the lighthouse when Emma whooped the siren and pulled in front of Regina’s car, slowing down in an effort to make Regina slow down as well.  Emma finally forced them to a stop right in front of the entrance to the old, weathered spire.

As soon as Regina had slammed the Benz into ‘Park’, she had the door open and was running toward the cruiser.  Emma was so busy trying to get out of her seatbelt and get the door open that she didn’t see Regina coming in the side view mirror.  Emma had barely gotten to her feet and started to turn around when a palm collided with the side of her face with a resounding SMACK.  Her eyes blurred from the force of the blow and she stumbled slightly, falling into the door of the cruiser as her hand went automatically to the point of impact on her cheek.  Immediately, she sprang back onto her feet and looked at Regina, completely shell-shocked and open-mouthed trying to figure out what the hell was going on.  Regina stood before her, whole body shaking, chest heaving, face red, as tears streamed down her face.  Regina was already at full screaming volume when she started,

“WHO IS SHE, EMMA?”

“Regina, what are you…..” Emma’s head jerked to the side as the second SMACK hit, same place, same force.  Damn, Regina could hit. Hard.  That was definitely going to leave a mark.

“HOW MANY TIMES, EMMA?  HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU FUCK HER?” Regina was gasping for air as she sobbed, furious.  Her face was red and the vein in her forehead protruded sharply while her eyes blazed in anger and hurt. “HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU FUCK HER AND THEN COME TO MY BED AND TELL ME THAT YOU LOVED ME?”

Regina lifted her hand again to deliver the third smack, but this time Emma was ready and she grabbed Regina’s wrist with her hand as it came across.  Unable to finish what she started, Regina started to hit Emma’s chest with her other, closed fist.  Emma could feel Regina’s body shaking with her anger and sobs.  Regina’s pounding fist began to lose strength as she succumbed to her hurt and crying more than her adrenaline and anger.  Emma pulled Regina against her and released her wrist, wrapping her arms around Regina tightly.  Regina’s grabbed fistfuls of Emma’s shirt as she laid her cheek against Emma’s shoulder trying to regain her composure enough to speak.  It was a few, long minutes before she calmed her body and her thoughts enough to continue.  When Regina spoke again, it was quiet and hoarse from her screaming.   Emma could hear the pain in her words.

“I saw the texts, Emma.  I know she is from Storybrooke.“

“What texts?  The texts from Ashley?” 

Regina pulled back and looked at Emma’s face with disgust.

“You’re screwing that blonde server from The Crossbow?”

Emma looked back at Regina confused.

“Huh?  What? No!  Why would you even……”  Emma’s eyes widened as she put the pieces together: her unlocked phone on the counter, the note beside.   Regina had seen the texts and, to any casual observer, the words of Ashley’s and Emma’s texts could be taken out of context in a VERY bad way.

“Oh fuck….” was in the exasperated sigh that Emma managed to deliver.

Regina stepped back and wrapped her arms around herself as if someone had punched her in the stomach.  In two words, Emma had just verified both her guilt AND the affair.  Anger started to bubble inside of Regina again and the next words were said between gritted teeth.

“It was our anniversary today.  I thought that meant something.  I thought I meant something.  I thought you loved me.  Instead, you left for a romp with some two-bit whore.  How could you do this to me, Emma?”

“Regina…..” Emma started forward a step and she saw Regina withdraw a step as well.  She was seething with anger again.

“DON’T YOU FUCKING, REGINA, ME!!  HOW COULD YOU, EMMA?  ANSWER ME!”

Emma stopped, breathed a deep breath, shook her head and looked toward the sky.  She released a few breathy chuckles at the absurdity of this entire evening, of this entire conversation, and saw her breath dissipate as a puff of smoke in the evening air. 

The stars were so bright and plentiful in the sky and the moon hung full and low.  Everything was illuminated in a soft, bluish glow.  The beauty was such a contradiction to what was unfolding between them.

“YOU THINK THIS IS FUCKING FUNNY, EMMA?”

Emma looked directly at Regina.  She was done with this conversation and she was going to end it now.

“No, Regina.  I don’t think it’s funny at all,” said Emma sadly.  “Ashley texted because she needed to give me something.”

Regina huffed, “What?  Sex in the back seat of your car?”

“No, Regina!”  Emma was starting to lose patience and she fished in the pocket of her jeans roughly while Regina watched her, waiting for an answer.  “She was giving me THIS!”

As Emma finished the last word, she extracted from her pocket what she had been searching for.  The diamond and sapphire ring sparkled in the moonlight.  It was the most beautiful ring that Regina had ever laid eyes on.

“Ashley brought me this ring, because I had given it to Ruby to hold onto.  I didn’t want to lose it or forget it or mess it up.  I knew Ruby would make sure it stayed safe.  I was going to get it from her during our dinner at The Crossbow tonight, but when you came home and suggested we stay in for the evening, I had to figure out a Plan B.  Ruby couldn’t leave the bar, but she told me that Ashley could.  Ruby gave Ashley my number and she texted me so that we could meet up on her break.  That’s where I went, Regina.  I was getting THIS.”  Emma held the ring up so that it was eye level between them.

Regina stared at Emma confused.

“I needed the ring, because I needed to ask you a question.  And I needed to ask it tonight, not tomorrow, not the day after. ”  Emma’s voice was rising in pitch as her chest heaved, her eyes begging Regina to understand what she was saying.  Emma’s frustration was building as all her words seemed to be getting her nowhere, so she decided to make this as simple as possible.

Emma dropped to one knee in front of Regina and held out the ring, pinched tight between trembling fingers, as she pleadingly asked a single, simple question: “Dr. Regina Mills, will you be my wife?”

Regina just stood stock still, her lips slightly parted, looking from Emma’s eyes to the ring, back to her eyes, back to the ring.  The full weight of this entire conversation hit Regina at once.  Oh God, what had she done?  How could she have been so foolish?  Why, after all this, after everything she had said and everything she had done, was Emma still asking to marry her? 

Emma was shaking heavily as the gravity of the entire, absurd situation hit her as well.  She was starting to get very nervous, but managed to whisper out,

“I think this is the part where you say something back to me…..”

Regina stepped forward and clasped Emma’s shaking hand in both of hers. 

“I don’t deserve you,” whispered Regina.

“A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ is fine,“ mumbled Emma quietly, “though, I would prefer it to be a ‘yes’.”  She kept her eyes on the ground, not daring to look at Regina.

Regina bowed her head and kissed Emma’s fingers before laying her cheek on the back of her hand.  Emma felt Regina nod against her skin and felt the warm tears that were falling from Regina’s eyes.

“I am really not sure why you would want to marry me after everything I said to you tonight.  I should have trusted you, Emma.  Instead, I just assumed that you want me anymore.  I am so sorry.”

“I don’t get rid of the people that I love, Regina. “  Emma looked into Regina’s eyes and slipped the ring onto her left hand.  It was a perfect fit.

“Besides, I need you to stick around in case someone breaks in.  You have a really mean right hook.”  Emma grinned and then winced slightly at the pain in her face.

Regina groaned sympathetically as she helped Emma to her feet.  She reached to touch the skin of Emma’s cheek gently, fingertips barely ghosting over the skin.  It felt hot and the skin was red and puffy.

“I think I need a doctor.”

“Uh huh.” Regina leaned in to place a soft kiss on the swollen skin of Emma’s cheek.  Emma’s eyes fluttered closed and her head tilted back a bit.

“I most definitely need a doctor.” Emma groaned as Regina placed another kiss under her jaw.

“Uh huh,” was repeated as Regina continued nipping and kissing the skin of Emma’s slender neck.

“Regina?”

“Hmmmm?”

“Do you do this to all your patients?” asked Emma in a playful whisper.

She felt Regina grin against the underside of her jaw.

“Only the cute ones,” Regina mumbled as she continued kissing and tracing her tongue along Emma’s jaw.

Emma pulled back and looked at Regina with her eyebrow raised, a smirk playing on her lips.

“Is that so?”

“Yep, but there was this one patient, a cop, that got thrown around by a junkie one time.  She had to have been the cutest by far.  I think I may just stick with her.”

Emma captured Regina’s lips with her own and pulled her into a deep kiss.  She hugged Regina tightly with strong arms as they looked up at the stars one more time before deciding to get in their cars and drive home.

“I bet you never thought the night would be like this, huh?” said Regina smiling.

“Well, I can tell you this much, if this is how the engagement went, I can’t wait to see the wedding…..” responded Emma with a huge smile.


	6. A Helluva Place For A Honeymoon

**_Picture (Left): Emma and Regina are wrapped in each other’s arms, dancing in front of a window at The Crossbow, Emma in her jeans, tank and leather jacket and Regina in her scrubs_ ** _._

**_Picture (Right): Regina is holding a little girl in the Physical Therapy Center.  Both wear goofy grins and their cheeks are squished together in a tight hug._ **

**September 21, 2013**

It was 9AM and Regina was applying the finishing touches to her makeup.  She wasn't wearing a lot of it, just what she would normally wear to work.  It seemed understated on such an important day, but she was doing this for Emma. 

* * *

 

_Regina was sitting cross legged on the loveseat in a pair of black yoga pants and a white, v-neck, t-shirt.  A medical journal sat in her lap and she was leaned over, reading intently, occasionally highlighting items of interest.  Emma, on the other hand, had splayed herself all over the other sofa and was watching some Sunday afternoon sports game that Regina had little interest in.  Emma was incredibly fidgety and seemed to be moving around every few moments trying to re-situate herself comfortably.  After almost one and a half years, Regina knew this was a classic signal that something was bothering Emma, but she also knew that asking her about it was NOT  going to get the problem sorted out any faster.  Emma dealt with things on her own time, and ‘Emma time’ could sometimes take days, so Regina simply waited and continued to read._

_Eventually, Emma rolled over onto her stomach and gathered a throw pillow to her chest, propping her chin on it so she could look at Regina.  Sensing that Emma might be ready to talk, Regina had stopped reading, but she kept her eyes on the journal in an effort not to look anxious for Emma to start._

_“So…for the wedding…I was just wondering something….”_

_Not looking up from her journal, Regina responded nonchalantly,_

_“Uh huh?”_

_“Do you think you could do your makeup the way it was when we first met?”_

_Regina looked up and over her reading glasses at Emma._

_“You mean in the restaurant?”_

_“No, I mean in the Trauma Room.”_

_“You know I only wear foundation and lipstick when I work.  I hardly think that’s appropriate for the wedding and I would think you would want to see me looking a bit more elegant on that day.”_

_“But that’s the way you looked when I fell for you.”_

_For as goofy as Emma could be sometimes, Regina knew she had a slightly sentimental side as well.  This would be a pretty small indulgence to give into and, if it meant that much to Emma, then she would do as she was asked.  Still, Regina figured this wasn’t really the issue or question Emma wanted to discuss._

_"Maybe you can wear your scrubs and reading glasses too?" Emma waggled her eyes playfully knowing she was already pushing the limits of what Regina was willing to concede._

_“And why would I do that dear?”_

_“I thought it might just be a little more comfortable for you since you wear it every day,” said Emma while fretting her lower lip between her teeth._

_And THERE was the real problem: the dress.  It wasn’t that Emma didn’t wear dresses; she actually cleaned up quite nicely and owned several form-fitting dresses that Regina had happily peeled off her on more than one occasion.  As long as it was just the two of them, Emma seemed comfortable and at ease with the formality.  At the wedding, though, there would be a larger crowd and a lot of those eyes would be on Emma.  Regina knew Emma would feel safer in her ‘regular’ clothes.  That being said, it was their wedding and there were going to have to be concessions made on both sides._

_"You wouldn't happen to be working this angle in an effort to try to get me to agree to jeans, a tank and a certain red, leather jacket would you?"_

_Emma pouted, knowing from the tone that this was already a lost cause._

_“I’ll make you a deal, Emma.  I will wear my makeup as you asked, if you will wear a dress.  And we will pick it out together. Deal?”_

_“I guess,” huffed Emma as she rolled back over to watch the game again, noticeably calmer now that the issue was sorted out (even if not to her liking)._

_Regina smiled, congratulating herself silently for her new-found, compromising skills and rolled her eyes in amusement at the woman that was her fiancée._

* * *

 

Regina stepped back to look at herself in the mirror of the master bath.  A brilliant smile broke across her face.

_I am marrying Emma Swan today_.

Regina felt a burst of nervous flutters in her stomach, not because of any concerns that she had about marrying Emma.  In fact, she had never been as sure of anything before as she was of this:  Emma Swan was the woman with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life.  Regina just wanted everything to be perfect, for Emma, for her, for everyone. Regina took a few deep breaths to ground herself and focused on her calming image - their honeymoon.

Emma had agreed to let Regina plan the honeymoon.  This was probably for the best, since, under Emma’s supervision, they probably would have ended up at Disney World, Chuck E. Cheese or a go-kart track.   
  
She hadn’t told Emma where they were headed. She had only given her three pieces of information: sun, fun and bikini. What she withheld was that the destination was a very, private cabana on a small, secluded cove in Puerto Rico where, according to Dr. Bell (who lent it to them as a wedding present), 'you will be lucky if you saw anyone in a month’.  Regina could already imagine lying in the sun, playing in the water and making love all night to her beautiful wife.  She had been sure to purchase a black, string bikini (a near impossible find in Maine) that she intended to put to good use, although she had already decided that, if this place was as isolated as Dr. Bell had said, she might forgo the suit altogether and save herself the tan lines. 

_I doubt Emma will argue this plan at all._  
  
The nervous butterflies were quickly replaced by aroused tingling and Regina pulled herself out of her calming image, before she worked herself into a painful ache.  
  
 _Focus, Regina.   In less than 24 hours, you will be on a plane with your wife, flying first-class to Puerto Rico, probably trying to convince her that joining the mile-high club is NOT an item on your bucket list, even though I am relatively sure that it is on hers._  
  
As Regina reached to pull the clip from her hair, she remembered that her brush was still in her work bag. Walking to the study, she found the bag sitting in the desk chair.  As she opened the zipper, she saw the small box that held Emma's wedding ring and smiled. Searching for the brush among her things, Regina became very aware of the overly insistent vibration of phone.  Over 10 texts or calls had come through in the past three minutes from the Trauma Center central desk.  Despite her ‘away’ status, Regina dialed the number.

“Trauma Center, this is Kathryn.”

“Kathryn, this is Dr. Mills.”

“Dr. Mills, I am so sorry to bother you. I know you are not listed as ‘on call’ but we have a…..situation.”

Regina could tell that something was off in Kathryn’s normally calm, detached voice.

“It's OK, Kathryn. What's going on?”

“Dr. Mills, there’s been an accident…..”

Regina felt nauseated as her mind went immediately to Emma, who had stayed home last night in an effort to not break tradition and to keep from seeing Regina before the wedding.  She could feel the bile rising in her throat as she waited for Kathryn to say the next words.

“…with a Kindergarten bus at the intersection of Furrow Road and Stump Roads.  Field trip to the orchards.  The bus was hit by a car that didn’t yield at the stop sign.  Drunk driver.  Travelling pretty fast.  Hit the middle of the bus and turned it.  Approximately 20 people injured, mostly children between 4 and 5 years of age, as well as a few adult chaperones.” 

The words didn’t do much to control her nausea and Regina could hear Kathryn getting choked up as she continued speaking.

“The current staff may be overwhelmed. Should we begin reroute to Portland?”

“Kathryn, listen to me.  Call in all staff immediately.  Call Portland and have them send at least one chopper, with two Trauma Surgeons, if they can spare them.  Have Storybrooke MedEvac Team on full alert.  Get Emergency to open all beds for the less injured patients.  Route all of the critical cases to Trauma.  We are going to need some people in the lobby to control access.  Let’s try to keep this to family only.  Oh, and Kathryn, call Archie.  We may need a grief counselor.  How far out is the first?”

“First bus due to arrive in 15 minutes.  They are trying to load them according to severity.  Three critical on the first.”

“I will be there in ten.”

“But Dr. Mills, your wed….”

“I will be there in ten.”

Zipping her bag, Regina grabbed her keys and sprinted out the door. 

* * *

 

Luckily, Emma’s house was on the way to the hospital.  Pulling into the driveway, Regina ran to the front door and, finding it unlocked, pushed through, calling Emma’s name to try to locate her more quickly.  She heard Emma before she saw her,

“Baby, I know I’m irresistible, but we really aren’t supposed to see…”  Emma rounded the corner in a pair of sweat shorts and a tank, a huge grin on her face.  The grin quickly turned into a panicked stare as she saw Regina’s face which was awash in both devastation and determined focus.  Immediately, Emma grabbed Regina by the shoulders.  
  
“What’s wrong, Regina?” she questioned breathlessly.

“Emma, I know we are supposed to get married today….”

Emma looked at Regina, absolutely terrified to hear what she would say next.  What had she done so wrong that Regina would change her mind?  Emma’s panic turned into confusion at the next words.

“There’s been an accident, Emma.”   
  
Quickly, Regina recounted everything that Kathryn had told her.  It was enough.  Grabbing the keys to the cruiser, Emma headed towards the door.

“Let’s go.  I’ll drive.”

Emma took only a moment to transfer Regina’s bag to the cruiser before hitting the siren and lights and speeding towards the hospital.  As they drove, she glanced at Regina who was looking out the window, fretting her lower lip between her teeth.  This call was definitely going to be hard on Regina.  She adored children and, while they hadn’t discussed any specific timing, they both knew that they would be adding them to their family at some point in the near future.     

They pulled up to the Main Entrance of the Trauma Center with about two minutes to spare before the first ambulance was to arrive.  Regina’s eyes were rimmed with tears.

“Emma, I am so sorry.  I can’t….I can’t leave them….”

Reaching across Regina, Emma popped the handle to the door.

“Regina.  Go.  Those kids need you.”

Regina grabbed her bag and kissed Emma on the lips quickly.

“I love you, Emma.”

“I love you too, Regina.” was replied as the door slammed shut.  Rubbing her hand across her forehead and then pinching the bridge of her nose, Emma mused to no one,

“Time to make some calls,” before popping the patrol car into gear and heading out to make room for the incoming ambulances.

* * *

 

The scene inside the main lobby could be best described as chaotic pandemonium.  Hospital staff was coming towards Regina as she ran inside, preparing for the first incomings.  Throughout the lobby, parents and family had started gathering, holding each other to provide some marginal comfort as they waited for their children to come through the doors, not knowing the seriousness of their injuries.  Some parents were already starting to break down, sobbing uncontrollably, while others just stood, shell-shocked, as they awaited news.

_Dammit, news in a small town travels too fast._

Weaving in and out of staff and parents, Regina made her way quickly to the break room to grab some fresh scrubs before running into the locker room to change.  There was already an uncomfortable silence in the room, but her entrance made the silence deafening.  Several of the doctors and nurses stopped what they were doing to look at her open mouthed, including Dr. Bell.   All of them knew that she was supposed to be somewhere else today.  Somewhere happy.  Somewhere safe. Somewhere other than here.  Regina broke the silence,

“OK folks, let’s get ready, we have three critical coming in, ETA two minutes.”  Pretty quickly, the others departed, leaving Regina and Dr. Bell alone in the locker room.

As Regina turned to make her exit, Dr. Bell reached out and grabbed her bicep, a sad smile on her lips. 

“I am sorry you didn’t get your beautiful day, Regina.”

“Emma understands.”

“I know she does, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

“Well, there’s always next year, right?”

Regina chuckled a bit trying, unsuccessfully, to find some levity in the fact that this day had turned into a disaster and her fiancée had been left holding the bag of telling everyone what had happened.

“Ready?” asked Dr. Bell.

“As ready as I can be,” she replied as they exited the locker room and prepared for the worst.

* * *

 

By 10:30AM, all of the children and adults that had been injured in the crash had been routed to respective areas of the hospital for treatment and were in various stages of care.  Most of the injuries were confined to cuts, bruises, sprains, concussions and broken bones (or some combination, thereof).  Eight of the patients had required more advanced treatment.  They were children who had been sitting in the seats where the car had struck the side of the bus leaving behind a twisted jumble of perforated metal and plastic.  These small patients had been routed in and out of the Trauma Center over the course of the morning where doctors worked in teams of two and three to attend to their injuries.

One of the patients brought in, a little four-year-old girl named Ava, was under the care of Dr. Bell and Dr. Mills.  She was actually one of the last to arrive and the most critical.   She had slipped between the fused frames of the car and bus after the impact, and rescuers had spent over a half hour just trying to extract her small body from the wreckage with metal saws and hydraulic wedges.  When she arrived, she lay unconscious on a stretcher, pale and unresponsive.  Her hair was light brown and lay in soft curls on the pillow.  She wore a small pair of thick glasses that were held on by an elastic cord stretched between the ears, so they wouldn’t fall off as she played.  Now, the cord simply held them askew on her face.  Ava seemed dwarfed by the bed since she only took up about one-quarter of it.  The rest of the bed was covered in equipment and medical supplies that were new or exhausted from use.  Ava’s lower right arm and lower right leg were wrapped heavily in gauze and bandages and stabilized by splints.  She struggled to breathe despite the oxygen mask and pump.  Pieces of metal had punctured her body in several places.  The rescuers didn’t dare remove them for fear of causing more injury.  They were being held in place by bandages until the doctors could assess the damage.

The sight of the little girl was heart breaking and Regina was struggling to keep it together.  She could tell that Dr. Bell was as well.  Regina took a moment to take off the little girl’s glasses, fold them carefully and lay them on the tray beside the bed.

“DO NOT lose those.  She’ll need them later.   Make sure they stay with her,” stated Regina to the room.  She prayed to every God that she knew that stating that simple fact would make it so.  Several of the nurses stopped and looked at Regina.  They respected her compassion and strength on a day like today and made a silent vow that, no matter what, those glasses were going to stay with that little girl and that little girl was going to stay alive.  They all worked with renewed energy and determination.

Regina set to work cutting the gauze off Ava’s arm and leg as Dr. Bell took a series of x-rays to check for what metal pieces could be removed immediately, what required more delicate surgery and where there might be additional, internal damage.  Within a few minutes, they knew Ava had: a perforated lung that would require surgery to re-inflate, several punctures to her lower stomach that would require exploratory surgery, a few broken bones to pin and a lot of sutures and staples to endure.  It was only a moment longer before they realized that sutures and staples would be the least of her worries over the coming weeks, months and years.

Pulling back the gauze on Ava’s leg, Regina assessed her injuries.  Open wounds revealed multiple breaks and crushing.  Fragments of bone scattered like snow throughout muscle and tissue that hung both in and outside of the wounds.  Temporary clamps had been placed on vessels in an effort to get her transported to the Center without losing too much blood.  Her lower leg, below the clamps, was already taking on the greyish-green color of dying tissue.  Ava’s lower arm was not fairing any better and was hanging on by little more than a few strands of muscle and sinew.  A brief look at Dr. Bell confirmed what Regina already knew: amputation.

“Call the best Orthopedist and Orthotist we have for consultation and prepare for transport to OR immediately.  I’ll take lead on surgery.  If we are going to do this, I want everyone in that room that we need to fucking do it right.”

“Dr. Bell.…Meghan….I’m going to need you with me on this.  Are you ready?”

“Right beside you, Regina.  Let’s go.”

Over the course of the next eight hours, they worked together to remove Ava’s lower leg and arm, shaping bone and muscle, sealing off nerves and vessels, trying to salvage what remained into an appendage that could support a prosthetic.  Between them, they hoped to save some semblance of a normal childhood for this little girl, even if it was going to be carried out with artificial limbs.   Rods and pins repaired other, cleaner breaks and metal was removed from wounds that were sutured closed.  While suturing the lower stomach punctures, they removed one of her ovaries.

_How many fucking obstacles does this child need to endure in her life?_ thought Regina as she finished the last of the stitches.

Regina placed her hands on the side of the bed and took a few cleansing breaths.  She knew the next 24 hours were going to be the most critical and she signed the orders for Ava to be transferred to ICU so that she would receive 24x7 care.

“What has the family been told?” Regina asked Meghan.

“That she is in surgery.  That we are doing everything we can.”

Taking a deep breath, Regina told Dr. Bell,

“I will go talk to them now.”

Regina went to the lobby.  Ava’s parents were the only ones that remained, huddled in a corner, consoling each other.  Regina could see the fear in their eyes as she approached them.  Over the next hour, Regina talked to Ava’s parent about her injuries, her treatment and her post-surgery care and options.  More than once, Ava’s mother and father broke down, sobbing and holding each other tightly as they tried to comprehend the news that was being delivered.  Regina was on the verge of tears as well, but forced herself to stay emotionally neutral.  Maybe, if she could show them that she had confidence in Ava’s recovery, they would believe that Ava could be whole again too; that she could be the little girl, the woman, and maybe, someday, the mother that they had dreamed she would be.

As Regina turned to leave, Ava’s mother grabbed her hand. 

“Dr. Mills, I heard several of the staff saying that your wedding was today, but you came here instead.  Why?”

For Regina, it was so simple.

“Because Ava needed me.”

Smiling gently at Ava’s mother, Regina squeezed her hand.

“You should go to ICU.  Ava will wake in a few more hours and I am sure she would like to see you.  The nurses will have her glasses by the bedside, if she needs them.”

Releasing her hand, Regina returned through the double doors that led into Trauma and headed for the locker rooms.  It was 8PM.

* * *

 

Emma had spent the majority of her day making calls to wedding guests.  Even though the guest list was relatively small, everyone wanted to know what had happened.  Emma took the time to explain the details to each person.    They deserved to know and, truthfully, she was proud of Regina for the decision she made.  For Regina and Emma, their wedding was a confirmation that they had years of future ahead.  For these children, Regina was their confirmation that they had years of future ahead.

The entire call list took about 5 hours to get through.  Emma was emotionally and mentally exhausted by the time she was through talking to everyone.  Grabbing her keys, she slid into the Camaro and gripped the steering wheel as her eyes fell on the garment bag that lay on the back seat.  It was her wedding dress and the unsigned, unused license.   Regina had given Emma strict instructions to bring everything to the house and have Ruby help her put the dress on right before the ceremony.  She knew Emma would find a way to mess it up otherwise.   Tears welled up in her eyes and Emma couldn’t stop them from falling anymore.  Sobs ripped through the silence of the car as Emma had her moment of self-pity for having lost out on the single most important day of her life.

Gathering herself after a few minutes, Emma slammed the car into gear and headed to The Crossbow. 

* * *

It was eerily quiet in the bar and restaurant for a Saturday night.

_You rented the entire place out for a wedding reception that didn’t happen.  Of course it’s quiet._

As Emma entered the front door, she saw Ruby, who was casually, and sadly, wiping the top of the bar.  Emma knew Ruby could see the tracks of her tears, but she also knew that Ruby wouldn’t be fool-hardy enough to say anything about it.  Instead, she offered a different kind of solace,

“You look like you could use a drink.”

“Yeah, I think that may be the best thing I have heard all day.”

As Emma lifted her leg to sit on the bar stool, she felt something jab into her thigh.  Reaching into her pocket, she found the source of the discomfort, Regina’s wedding band; the final piece that would confirm their devotion and dedication to each other.  Extracting it from her pocket, she laid it on the top of the bar and seated herself in front of the counter.  Ruby already had her Anchor Stout ready.

“Thanks, Rubes,” said Emma as she downed the pint in a few, short minutes.

* * *

 

Regina took a long, hot shower in the locker room trying to wash away the memories of the day.  When she finished, she grabbed the first thing within reach, a fresh pair of scrubs, dressed and returned to the lounge area where Meghan was waiting, staring off into space.

“Sorry it took me so long,” said Regina as she grabbed her duffle.

“No problem.  Where can I drop you?”

“Emma’s, I guess,” shrugged Regina.  Honestly, she wasn’t really sure where she should go or what she should do at this point.  She had no idea what Emma’s emotional state was now that she had over 10 hours to think about the fact that Regina had basically left her at the altar.

Slowly they walked to Meghan’s car and drove in silence to Emma’s house.  The Camaro was gone from the drive and Regina asked Meghan to continue to her house, hoping Emma had gone there versus running off to avoid Regina and the inevitable talk that was going to have to take place about this botched up day.  As they passed The Crossbow, Regina spied Emma’s car.

“Meghan, can you drop me here?  There’s Emma’s car.”

Meghan pulled up to the front door of the restaurant and Regina grabbed her duffle from the back seat.

“Do you need me to wait?”

“No, it’s OK.  If Emma isn’t here, I will ask Ruby for a ride home.  Thanks.  For everything.”

Meghan offered Regina a tired smile before waving and heading home for some much deserved rest.  It was 9PM.

* * *

 

Emma saw the lights of a car pulling into the parking lot.

_Please tell me I didn’t forget to call someone.  I don’t think I can deal with another of these conversations today._

Emma pulled herself from her seat at the bar and made her way to the front doors of the restaurant hoping to stop the person before they got too far.   As Emma turned to call to the back to let Ruby know she was handling it, the door opened and there stood Regina.  Bursting into tears, Regina dropped her duffle and ran into Emma’s arms, collapsing from the emotional weight of the day.  Nuzzling her face into Regina’s hair, Emma held her tight and kissed her gently as she lowered them slowly to the floor.  There, she gently rocked Regina for an hour as she cried.  It was 10PM.

* * *

 

“I am so sorry, Emma.” whispered Regina as she sat on the floor with Emma, finally able to pull herself together enough to talk.

“Shhhhhhh…” Emma placed a finger to Regina’s lips.

“This was supposed to be the best day of our lives.”

“Regina, how many people were lost in that bus crash today?”

Regina looked at Emma quizzically, not understanding the point of the question.

“None.”

“Then I’d say it was a pretty good day, baby.”  Emma smiled the gentle smile that had melted Regina’s heart a thousand times before.

In that moment, it truly hit Regina how lucky she was, how incredible Emma was, and how happy her life would always be as long as Emma was at her side.

“I just wish there was something we could do, Emma.”

Ruby, who had been eavesdropping at the bar, piped up.

“Girls, I think I might be able to help you out there.”

“What?” said Emma who hadn’t even noticed Ruby’s return and wondered how much of their private moment she had actually witnessed.

“I said, I think I can help you guys out,” she rolled her eyes as if Emma should have known about Ruby’s ability to save the day long before today.

“How?” asked Emma as she raised herself from the floor and helped Regina to her feet as well.

“Well, I was bored one day, so I took one of those online courses.  You know the ones.  They let you get a plumbing license or an electrical license or whatever.  Well, one of the courses lets you get a license to marry folks.  Either way, I took the course, and I passed.  On. The. First. Try.” Ruby fist pumped at her online course prowess.

Emma’s eyes went wide as the full weight of what Ruby said hit her.

“Ruby?  You can marry us?” Emma asked with a stunned and excited voice.

“Uhhhhhh.  Sure.“ Ruby shrugged, like this was no big thing, “You just need two witnesses.”  Thumbing towards the back, she added, “Granny’s still awake you know.  And I think Leroy is sleeping it off on a cot in the kitchen.”

“Go get them.   Right now.”

Emma turned to Regina and grabbed both of her hands.

“I got an idea,” said Emma excitedly as her green eyes gleamed for the first time that day.  “Don’t move.”

Emma started towards the door, but then turned around.  Grabbing Regina’s hands again, she led her over to one of the huge windows overlooking the harbor.

“Better yet.  Wait right here.”

Emma sprinted to the bar to retrieve something from the surface and then out through the front door of The Crossbow.  Once in the parking lot, she ran as fast as she could towards the car.  She extracted the garment bag from the backseat and returned to the restaurant, running immediately to the bathroom.  Regina heard the door, but didn’t see Emma.  She stood at the front of the restaurant for a full ten minutes in a thoroughly confused state looking from Ruby to Leroy to Granny for answers and getting nothing in return.

When Emma appeared again, Regina’s hands flew to her mouth and fresh tears fell from her eyes.  Emma stood there in front of her in her wedding dress and heels, a shy smile on her face as she looked up at Regina through her lashes.  Regina’s wedding band hung from her little finger and she was gripping the marriage license tightly.  Locking eyes with Regina, Emma spoke gently but definitively,

“Regina, I don’t think this is how you planned for our wedding to be.  I know this isn’t even close to how I would have planned it.  Hell, I don’t think that I could have planned this even if I tried, and you KNOW I can come up with some real winners.  But, here we are, and we have a chance to make this day right.  And, if you are OK with this,” Emma motioned her hand around the restaurant and to Ruby, Granny and Leroy, “Then there is nothing in this world that I would rather do than make you my wife, right now.”

Regina walked over to her bag and pulled out the box that held Emma’s ring.  She extracted her engagement ring from the inner pocket where she placed it for safe-keeping at work.  Returning to the motley group that stood at the window, she spoke with tears in her eyes, but a confidence in her voice,

“I can’t think of a more perfect end to this day, Emma.”  Turning to Ruby, she finished, “Miss Lucas, will you do the honors?”

Ruby broke out in a huge smile as she stepped to the front and, in true Ruby-fashion, started the ceremony, “OK, girls, here we go….”  It was 11PM.

* * *

 

Ten minutes.  That was all it took for Regina and Emma to pledge their commitment to each other.  It was probably for the best, because no one was really sure how long Leroy would be able to stay on his feet anyways.  When it was done, the license read: ‘on this day, the 21st of September’, and that was what really counted.  Two years to the day since their first, real date, Emma and Regina became The Swan-Mills family, just as they had hoped.

Emma put away her dress carefully in the bag and changed back into her jeans, boots, tank and red leather jacket.  ‘If you get to be comfortable, I get to be comfortable’ was her reasoning.  Regina didn’t mind at all. 

While she changed, Ruby had turned on some soft music over the house speakers.  Emma held Regina close as they danced slowly in front of the windows overlooking the harbor.  Regina laid her cheek against Emma’s shoulder and nuzzled her forehead into Emma’s neck and she breathed in deeply, loving the familiar scent and feeling of everything that was Emma, everything that was her wife.  Between the dancing, gentle kisses and whispers of love, Regina told Emma about Ava and wondered how she was doing in ICU, since the earlier surgery.

“Maybe we should go find out, if you are feeling up to it.”

Regina squeezed Emma tightly and nodded against her neck.  Her response was a tighter embrace of strong arms.

Emma walked over to the bar where Ruby was and thanked her ‘sister’ for giving her the best day of her life.

“You’re such a romantic goof, Emma Swan,” laughed Ruby.

“That’s Emma Swan-Mills to you,” she gave back proudly.

“I rest my case,” Ruby finished with a wink.

Calling out from behind the bar, Ruby addressed Regina.

“You take care of this one, Regina.  Don’t you let her get hurt.”

Smiling beautifully at Emma and Ruby, Regina gave back, “I will guard her with my life.” And all three knew that she meant it.

Grabbing their bags and giving Ruby one more hug, Emma and Regina walked hand in hand out to the car, loaded their stuff and proceeded to the hospital.

As they pulled out, Ruby waved.  Extracting her phone from her pocket, she shook her head and smiled,

“People are going to flip for this fairy tale shit.”

And Ruby just laughed as she started texting everyone she knew.

* * *

 

Emma leaned against the frame of the ICU room door while Regina stepped quietly inside.  The lights had been turned off except for one above the head of the bed that would normally illuminate the person’s face and shoulders.  Given Ava’s small stature, it pretty much illuminated all of her.  A sheet and several blankets had been pulled up to her chest to keep her warm.  Under the folds, Regina could make out the outline of her torso, left leg and a right leg that ended much too soon.  Her left arm lay over the covers, as did her right arm, but it was heavily bandaged from the end of her stump to her shoulder with gauze, ace bandages and compression stockings.   Her face had gotten some of its color back compared to the ghostly white that it showed when she had first entered Trauma that morning.  Her hair had been smoothed out a little and lay in waves on the pillow.

Regina noticed that this was one habit that family and loved ones always had with patients.  They touched their hair, brushed it with fingers and combs, adjusted it, smoothed it.  It was almost like having it in place made the patient look more like the person they remembered versus the person that was struggling for life or recovery.  

Regina reached down to grasp the little girl’s left hand as she reached for her chart with the other.  Emma couldn’t help but smile from the doorway as she saw the sparkle of Regina’s ring, her wife’s ring, playing under the light at the head of the bed.      

_You are going to be an amazing Mom someday, Regina Swan-Mills._

Across the room, Ava’s parents were curled together on a very small couch that could barely hold one person let alone two.   Her father was seated, squashed against the arm of the chair.  His head lulled to the side as he slept, exhausted from the trials of the day.  Her mother was curled onto the cushions, head and shoulders resting in her husband’s lap seeking comfort and warmth and protection.  Her hand, palm side up, clutched Ava’s folded glasses tightly.

Regina pulled her glasses from the pocket of her scrubs and read Ava’s chart.  Evidently, she wasn’t the only one that was interested in her progress.  Not more than 30 minutes prior, Dr. Bell had been there and managed to make an entry, even if it was just a few vitals.

“Dr. Mills?” came a soft inquiry from the side of the room.  Both Regina and Emma looked towards the source of the sound.  It was Ava’s mother who was pushing herself up from the couch.  She pulled her cardigan sweater around her as she walked over to Regina, her arms wrapped around herself.

“I didn’t expect to see you back here.  Is everything all right with Ava?”

“Absolutely.  She seems to be doing fine.  I was just checking on her progress.”

“Dr. Bell was just in here a bit ago to check on her as well.  I guess both of you worked on her surgery?”

“Yes.”

“She told me that you got married after all.”

Regina looked behind her to Emma who was still leaning on the frame of the door with her arms crossed over her chest.  Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head with a grin.  There was only one way that news travelled this fast: Ruby.

“Yes.  This is my wife, Emma.”

Emma smiled gently and threw a small wave from the doorway.  Ava’s mother walked over to Emma at the door and pulled her into a hug.  Emma wasn’t sure how to respond or why this woman was hugging her.

“Thank you.  Both of you.  For making sure my Ava was OK today.  I don’t know what we would do, if we didn’t have her anymore.”

Ava’s mother released Emma and started to cry into her hands.

Regina came over and steered her back to towards the bed by her shoulders, throwing Emma a soft smile.

“You don’t have to be without her.  She’s right here and she isn’t going anywhere, but she is going to need you to be strong for her.  Can you do that?”

Regina handed Ava’s mother a tissue and saw her nod as she wiped her eyes and nose.  

“You should get some rest,” suggested Regina quietly, “she’ll be waking up before you know it.”

Laying a hand on Ava’s mother’s shoulder, Regina turned and walked to the door.  As she passed Emma, she stopped and put her arm around the front of her waist, squeezing her hip to prompt her to turn and follow her into the hallway.

“How long will she be in ICU, Regina?”

“Probably about a week.  After that, it will be therapy and more surgeries and prosthetic fittings and….”

Emma could sense that Regina was starting to get overwhelmed and she placed her index finger on Regina’s lips to shush her.

“And continuing her childhood surrounded by people that love her very much.”

Regina sighed and nodded.

“Yes.  I guess so.”

* * *

 

It was around 1 AM when they arrived home.  Regina was glancing at the mail that she had pulled from the box outside the door when her heart stopped.

“Emma, what time is it?” she asked frantically.

“1 AM, I think.  What’s wrong?”

“Our flight.  It left an hour ago,” groaned Regina.  Pulling out her phone, she began typing in web addresses, trying to figure out what to do.  Emma’s hands stilled her typing fingers, taking the phone and laying it on the table.

“Regina, it’s fine.   We’ll figure it out in the morning.”

They stood in silence for a few moments before Emma started to laugh quietly.

“Wow, today has been some day, huh?”

Even Regina had to smile a little and chuckle.

“Yeah, it has been.”

Emma grabbed Regina by the hips and pulled her close, wrapping Regina up in her arms when she was close enough.  Pulling back, she looked into Regina’s eyes.

“Hey, out of curiosity, where were you taking me on this honeymoon?” Emma waggled her eyebrows at her wife.

“Puerto Rico.  Meghan loaned us her cabana for a week.”

Emma groaned.

“You mean the cabana where you are ‘lucky if you see anyone for a month’?” asked Emma making air quotes at Dr. Bell’s famous description.

Regina arched an eyebrow at her wife, surprised that Emma knew so much and wondering what else she knew.  Sensing Regina thought she had been spying, she explained,

“She told me about it one time at a party.  When you said sun, fun and bikinis, I was hoping that’s where we would end up.”

“Believe me.  Me too.”

Emma bowed her head to capture Regina’s lips with her own.  It wasn’t long before tongues were exploring mouths greedily, chests were heaving and breaths were coming in pants.  Breaking their kiss, Emma grinned and mumbled against Regina’s lips,

“You know.  There’s no reason that those bikinis have to go to waste.  We do have a hot tub and I heard that Storybrooke is a helluva place for a honeymoon.”

“Hmmmmm…..who said we needed bikinis?”

Regina wrapped her legs around Emma’s waist as her wife lifted her off the ground and started toward the back deck.

“I like the way you think Mrs. Swan-Mills…..”


	7. Spring Broken

**April 24, 2015**

**_Picture (left): Dr. Bell, Dr. Locksley and Regina are leaned against the front desk in the Trauma Center deep in conversation_ ** _._

**_Picture (right): A folded piece of paper is taped to the page of the album holding test results and a diagnosis._ **

Regina could see the break in the trees ahead of her signaling that she was nearing the edge of the woods and the start of the running trail.    It was just after 8AM and she had needed the physical exertion of a 10-mile run to take her mind off Emma.  Actually, she needed this run to take her mind off of sex, but, right now, they were so intertwined that forgetting both for a while would, hopefully, bring a temporary relief to this aching between her thighs.  Emma had been working double shifts at the station and coupled with her own, extended shifts, it meant that they hadn’t really seen each other in about 5 days.  Regina was really starting to ache for some sort of release.  The cold showers that she had been taking to compensate were doing little more than driving up the water bills at home and at the hospital.  Yes, she could easily take care of everything herself, but God, she would so much rather have it be Emma.  Plus, making herself wait for her wife meant the sex would be all that much more explosive and satisfying when it did happen, not that she was complaining at all about their sex life.  Every time was simply better than the last when it came to their love-making.

“I hope you are holding up better than I am”, huffed Regina to the woods, hoping they would carry her message to Emma, wherever she was right now.

As Regina broke onto the trail head, she slowed her pace and began to walk in slow circles with her hands on her hips drawing deep breaths and trying to calm her heart rate.  She lifted the edge of her fleece jacket sleeve to expose her watch before placing her fingers against her pulse point on her neck.  She felt good, but definitely more fatigued than usual after a run.  Noting nothing out of the ordinary with her heart rate, Regina continued to walk in a slow circle.  Suddenly, a sharp pain ripped through her lower abdomen on the left side.  Caught off guard, Regina stumbled and placed her right knee on the grass before pressing both palms into what she thought was the epicenter of the pain. Bending over her left thigh, she placed her forehead on her knee, keeping her eyes tightly shut and breathing forcefully through clenched teeth.  The flesh of her arms was raised in tiny bumps and beads of salty sweat had broken out on her forehead.   A red color had blushed on her face and chest and, periodically, a muted moan would accompany one of the exhales.  After about one minute, the pain began to subside, though it was several more before Regina cautioned taking the pressure of her palms off her abdomen and standing up.  Making her way slowly to her car in the parking lot; Regina sat for only a moment before turning the ignition and heading to Storybrooke Medical.

* * *

“So the pain was sharp and on the lower left?” asked Dr. Whale as he pressed his fingers deep into Regina’s lower abdomen.

“Yes,” replied Regina as she kept her eyes focused on the ceiling.  She hated being in this vulnerable and exposed position, especially with Whale.  He had tried to ask her out several times when she first started at the hospital, but Regina had politely refused each time citing limited personal time due to her work schedule.  Luckily, he figured out pretty quickly (via the hospital rumor mill) that her preferences lie with the fairer sex, and pretty much dropped all advances.  Regina thought the word ‘sleazy’ was one of the more apt descriptions of Whale that she had heard, at the same time, he was one of the best OB/GYNs in the country and Regina would tolerate his insufferable personality, if it meant getting the best possible care.

“When was the start of your last period?” inquired Whale as he lifted her legs into the stirrups, pulled her gown up to expose her up to her abdomen and brought the light so that it shone over his shoulder and showcased Regina’s, now very exposed, bottom half.

“March 18.”

“OK, I need to do a bimanual exam, so try to relax and just breathe normally.”

Regina continued to maintain focus on the ceiling, forcing herself to breath regularly.  As she did, she felt Whale separate her lips and slip two fingers inside of her, pressing simultaneously on her abdomen - left, middle and center.  When he was done, he withdrew his fingers and pulled off his gloves, throwing them in the waste bin.

“You’re free to sit up now.”

Regina did as she was told and watched Whale with anticipation as he finished writing notes into her chart before turning to address her.

“Well, I didn’t feel anything abnormal, although I did see a bit of spotting during the exam.   That could simply be because you are getting ready to start your period.  The physical tests are negative and I don’t have any real explanation for the cramping, but we did take a blood sample and will make sure and send that out for some more thorough testing.  Results should be back in about 3 days.  In the meantime, I would tell you not to worry too much and assume it was a fluke, but, if you have this happen again, call the office.  Any questions for me?”

“No,” said Regina shaking her head.

“Good, then, feel free to get dressed.  I will let you know when we have the results back.  Good seeing you, Regina,” said Whale as he cocked an eyebrow at her with a smirk.

“Thank you, Dr. Whale,” stated Regina dryly, rolling her eyes as she realized the double-entendre. 

Gathering her clothes and redressing, Regina made her way out of the hospital.  As she turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot towards home, all Regina could think was that this visit was MUCH more effective than any cold shower she could have taken today.

* * *

**April 27, 2015**

Regina Mills hated Spring Break.  She never did really understand the appeal of Maine in April.  It rarely got above 50 degrees and the nights could get pretty frigid.   You would think that a sun-drenched beach in Puerto Rico would hold a lot more appeal, but instead, they flocked here every year from all over the country, holing up in cabins doing god-knows-what. 

Actually, Regina knew exactly what ‘god-knows-what’ looked like. She was going to get to experience the aftermaths of it every day for the next few weeks, and she was NOT looking forward to it.  Copious amounts of alcohol and weed smuggled into the cabins in the woods were foreplay to some of the most bizarre accidents known to man. 

She walked into the Trauma break area about ten minutes before shift hoping to catch her breath and prepare.  Stuffing her duffle into the locker, she pulled out her scrubs before walking into the locker area and changing out of her black pants and button down white shirt.  Placing her newly folded clothes back into the bag, she removed her wedding ring and placed it in the inside pocket of her duffle for safe keeping before clipping her work phone to the waistband of her scrubs, texting the dispatch desk that she was available and putting on her watch.  Stepping over to the mail and message area, she withdrew a few notes from the previous shift and a plain, brown, sealed envelope marked ‘Dr. Regina Mills’ on the front in scrawled font.  Dropping the items on the break room table, she retrieved a cup of coffee from the pot before settling into a chair to open the envelope.  Lord knows how old the coffee was or when it was made, but it was caffeine and it would have to do.

Slipping a finger under the flap, Regina began working apart the seal when she felt her phone vibrate insistently against her hip.  Sighing, she lifted the display to get a better look…Mills - Incoming Trauma One.  Opening her locker, she stuffed the half-opened envelope into her bag, closed the locker door and exited the break room at a jog towards Trauma One.

* * *

 

Pinching the bridge of her nose and feeling the onset of a headache as she read the admitting notes, Regina continued to argue with the orderly outside of the Trauma One door.

“I really fail to understand how this qualifies as a trauma case.”

“They were both insistent that they be seen by a female physician and only male doctors were on shift in the ER this evening.  So you are the lucky one that gets the case.”

“Oh yeah, lucky me,” sighed Regina as she pushed through the door with a roll of her eyes.

Inside the room were two beds, now occupied by a male and female, respectively, in their early twenties.  Both had been changed into hospital gowns and were sitting half-reclined with sheets and blankets covering them up to their waists.  The woman’s head hung down and she seemed dazed and mortified, all at the same time.  Occasionally, she would fidget and shift uncomfortably in the bed and reach up to scratch one breast and then the other.  The male, too, was shifting around uncomfortably, but he seemed to be a lot more alert.   When Regina entered the room, his half-lidded eyes rose and fell slowly over her form while he licked his lips and leered at her suggestively.  His eyes were still taking Regina’s backside as she stepped to the sink, washed her hands and got gloved up.

Turning from the sink, she took a deep, cleansing breath before deciding to start with the girl in the far bed, definitely the lesser of two evils.  Approaching the bed, Regina rechecked the admitting notes one more time before speaking.

“I am Dr. Mills and I will be taking care of you this evening.  The notes say that you have a rash on your breasts and genitals. Do you know how you might have gotten this?”

The girl simply shook her head.

“Do you have any allergies?  Are you on any medication? Could you be pregnant?”

The girl continued to shake her head negatively to each question.

“OK, I need to check your eyes,” said Regina as she pulled the pen light from her pocket.

The girl slowly looked up at Regina and she could tell from the movement that she was having problems focusing.

“What’s your name?”

“Taylor.”

“Well, Taylor, your breath smells like you tried to drown yourself at a brewery this evening.”

As Regina flashed the light into her incredibly dilated pupils, the girl jumped slightly.

“And, I am guessing you both smoked a few as well?”

Taylor nodded slowly.

“Well, let’s take a look at what seems to be the main issue.”

Regina pulled the top of her gown down to reveal the girl’s chest.  An angry rash covered her breasts in the shape of a bikini top.  Scattered throughout were watery blisters, some intact and some broken from the itching.  Putting her gown back up to her shoulders, Regina laid the head of the bed back.

“I need to look under your gown at the other affected areas.”

The girl squeezed her eyes closed tightly and she nodded quickly just wanting the whole ordeal to be over.

Pushing the sheet and blanket over to the side, Regina lifted the edge of the hospital gown to reveal the woman’s perfect wax at the apex of her thighs. _Where do college kids get this kind of money?_

She was greeted with the same angry rash, this time in the form of a bikini bottom. 

“I need you to spread your thighs slightly please.”

The woman complied but kept her eyes shut tightly as if ignoring the situation would make it disappear.  Parting the outer lips of the woman’s vagina with her gloved hand, Regina saw the rash extended into places that had to be uncomfortable as hell.  She wasn’t sure what was keeping this girl from itching herself raw, aside from the alcohol and weed.  All Regina knew was, when both of those wore off, this girl was going to be living in her own kind of personal hell.  Pulling the gown back down, she replaced the sheet over the woman’s thighs and waist and removed her gloves.  She sat on the stool and started to speak while making some notes in the chart. 

“Well, Taylor, you are proud owner of a raging case of poison ivy.  What I am trying to figure out though is why is the rash localized and shaped like a bikini?  I am open to suggestions here.”

The girl chewed on her bottom lip and her eyes darted from the hands wringing in her lap to Regina and back again.  Crossing her legs, Regina placed her elbow on her knee and her chin in her palm, watching the girl fidget as she decided on the best way to approach the subject.  This was going to be a good one and Regina was going to be patient enough to wait for it.

“Steve and Britney were having a party at their cabin.  It was going to be a costume party, but we didn’t bring anything to wear and we got invited late.  They said we couldn’t get admitted if we didn’t have a costume…”

“Go on.”

“So, Kevin and I decided to be Adam and Eve.  We went into the woods and picked leaves so we could make our outfits.  They looked so good, but after a while, they started to itch…”

Regina bit her lip hard to stifle a snicker.

“I see.  And approximately how long were you wearing your ‘costumes’?”

“About 3 hours.”

“Well, I am going to give you a shot, a steroid pack and a cream that will be safe to use on all of your affected areas, but I won’t lie, it will take a while for this to kick in and, in the meantime, you are going to be miserable.  It probably goes without saying, but, try not to scratch.”

The girl groaned and threw her head back onto the pillow closing her eyes in defeat.  Regina scribbled a few additional notes on her chart and filled out the prescription forms.

Swapping charts, Regina turned and sighed heavily before stepping to the other bed where she was now prepared for, but dreading, the conversation.  Kevin had been dozing or, at least, sitting very still with his eyes closed.  As Regina approach the bed, he lifted his head and looked directly at her with a smirk.

“Greek.”

“I’m sorry?”

“You’re Greek.  If not, then I can tell from your tan skin that you have to be from someplace exotic,” Kevin drawled as he licked his lips and looked at Regina like he wanted to devour a piece of meat.

Looking down at his chart so he couldn’t see her face, Regina shook her head and rolled her eyes in disgust, responding dryly.

“No.  Not Greek.”

“R. Mills….What’s the ‘R’ stand for?  Righteous?  Cause you sure have a righteous ass.”

Regina continued to look at his chart while gritting her teeth. All Regina could think was _‘R’ stands for ‘Right now I wish Emma was here to kick your ass’_.

Before Regina could wander further into that scenario, she was pulled out of her train of thought by another doctor leaning in the door of Trauma One.

“Regina, when you get a minute, I could use an expert opinion on something.”

And then he was gone again.  In the background, Kevin slurred out.

“Regina, huh? Damn.  I wouldn’t mind you queening me.”

Narrowing her eyes, Regina looked into Kevin’s face with disgust while he looked back at her grinning like a mad fool.  Yes, some village somewhere was most definitely missing their idiot right now.

Regina had every right to call another MD into the room and have them finish the examination, but she didn’t want to give this over indulged, self-righteous asshole the upper hand. 

Stepping over confidently to the bed, she pushed the button to lay the bed down.

“Okay, Adam, let’s see the rash.”

“Adam? What? My name’s Kevin.”

“Nevermind.  Pull the sheet over and lift your gown please.”

As he did what he was instructed to do, Regina turned to the bedside tray to pull on a fresh set of gloves.  She was pretty sure that his rash would look exactly like Taylor’s, but she had to conduct the exam for completeness sake.   As she turned around to face the bed, she stopped dead in her tracks.  _Seriously, an erection?  Just great….,_ huffed Regina to herself. 

Leaning over the bed, Regina worked as quickly as possible to confirm the poison ivy diagnosis.  Unfortunately, in addition to the rash, Regina saw a different problem and was forced to spend more time on the exam which meant more time touching this guy’s privates.  Regardless of the approach, Regina was sure this was doing nothing but adding fuel to his fire.  As she was confirming the diagnosis, she felt a brush on her leg.  Looking quickly to the side, Regina could see Kevin’s eyes focused firmly on her ass while his index finger was brushing up and down her outer thigh.  A cocky smirk was gracing his lips and he was licking them intermittently.  He didn’t even notice that she was looking at him with narrowed eyes.   

Regina reached across with her left hand to grab the opposite rail so she could support herself as she leaned up close to his face.  She slammed her right fist into the bed near his shoulder to get his attention.  His face snapped forward as he broke out of his trance, his eyes widened in panic.  Regina’s face was a livid red and the vein in her forehead was starting to show as she gritted the next words out through her teeth slowly,

“You will remove your hand from my leg right this instant or I will call hospital security.  They will then call the police department for backup where, it just so happens, my wife is on duty tonight.  I am sure she will be more than happy to come down and discuss my ‘righteous ass’ with you in person after you all discuss why your hand was on my leg.  One more thing, if you even so much as spill a drop of your load on this bed, I will personally see to it that you receive the lowest and most slow-releasing dose of steroid medication I can find to treat your symptoms.  You will be scratching that mess for a month.”

Kevin’s mouth hung open and he nodded slowly in understanding.

Opening the curtain between the beds, Regina raised her voice loud enough to be heard by both room occupants.

“Oh and, Kevin, you have crabs.”

Groaning, Kevin slammed his head back against the bed, “Fuck….”

“Kevin,” screamed Taylor from the other bed, “I don’t have CRABS!”

“No, dear, you don’t,” replied Regina coolly.

“So where did you get them Kevin?  Tell me!  Was it that skanky bitch, Britney?”

Smirking, Regina turned and started toward the door of Trauma One.  As she pushed through, she called back, “Someone will be through soon with the prescriptions and discharge papers.  Good luck.  You’re gonna need it….”

“DAMMIT KEVIN!!” could be heard echoing through the room as the doors shut behind Regina.

Marching directly over to the dispatch and orderly desk, Regina slammed two charts onto the counter, startling the occupants of the space.  Everyone held their breath awaiting the next words out of the Chiefs mouth.

“The next fucking time someone asks specifically for a female physician, will you please make sure it isn’t just because they are looking to ogle someone’s ass!?!?  That was a complete shit show!  And burn those fucking sheets before we all have crabs!!”

Turning on her heel, Regina tossed her hair back before heading down the hall to the break room, laughter erupting behind her.

* * *

 

The remainder of Regina’s shift was painfully slow compared to the start.  Once ended, she retreated to the locker room with her supplies and hopped in a shower to wash away the events of her day.  She sighed contentedly as the hot water pelted her skin and relaxed her muscles.  Once done, Regina redressed in her regular clothes and dried her hair, reapplying a light layer of makeup, namely to cover the dark circles that had formed under her eyes from lack of sleep over the past couple of days.  These extended shifts were definitely taking a toll and Regina was exhausted and ready for bed.

Stepping into the break area, Regina opened her locker to gather her duffle and prepare to leave.  Noticing the half-opened envelope from earlier, she sat in one of the chairs and opened the flap the remaining amount.  Inside were test results from her visit to Dr. Whale.  As Regina scanned the document, her eyes landed on a single word at the bottom…PREGNANT.

Regina’s mouth dropped open as she read and re-read the report.  This couldn’t be possible.  She and Emma had been doing AI and fertility treatments for over a year.  The doctors had started to hint at more invasive procedures being needed and the possibility that even those wouldn’t be successful.  Regina had already lost count of the nights that she had fallen asleep crying on Emma’s shoulder after her period started or, on the rare occasions when she was late by a day or two, after they were brave enough to try a pregnancy test only to have their hopes build and be dashed by a resounding ‘-‘ on the test stick.  Every time, Emma would hold her close with strong arms, shushing her and running gentle fingers through her hair, telling her that everything would be all right.  They would just keep trying.  It just wasn’t to be that month, but maybe next month it would work. 

Placing gentle kisses on the top of Regina’s head, Emma would hold her until she fell into what Emma thought was a sound sleep.  Extracting herself from her wife’s embrace, Emma would dress and go out into the garage where she would beat a punching bag; scraping, cutting, bloodying and bruising her knuckles as she fought through her own pain and tears.  The first morning, after Regina saw the results of Emma’s emotional purging, she asked what had happened, knowing full well that this was Emma’s way of dealing.  “Nothing” was the muted and mumbled response she had received at the breakfast table.  Briefly, Emma had flashed her red and tired eyes at Regina and they showed her everything that Emma’s words couldn’t or wouldn’t – disappointment, sadness, frustration and longing for a family that they knew they wanted but was just beyond their grasp.  Regina wanted to badly to scold Emma, to tell her that injuring herself wasn’t the way to deal with everything, to beg her to open up and let her give comfort the same way she provided it to Regina, but she knew her words would fall on deaf ears and she couldn’t help but feel guilty that somehow this was her own fault because she couldn’t manage to conceive a child.  Instead, Regina took Emma’s hands, kissing each knuckle tenderly before holding Emma’s hand in her own and rubbing gentle strokes over her knuckles with her thumb as they ate breakfast in a subdued silence. 

There had been too many of those nights and morning-after breakfasts for Regina, and she was really starting to question how long their relationship, and Emma’s hands, could hold up and hold together under this process. Both wanted children so badly, but not at the expense of each other.  But, now, in this instant, none of this mattered.

Placing a hand over her mouth, Regina smiled a broad smile and cried joyful tears wondering how Emma would react to the news.  Pulling out her phone, she texted,

**Emma, call when you get this message. 911 :)** **.**

Completely untypical of Regina, she added an emoticon of a HUGE smiling face to make sure Emma didn’t panic when she saw the 911 and waited for a few minutes for a response.  Not getting one, Regina assumed she was on a call and gathered her items from the locker, ready to head home.  She had only taken a few steps toward the break room door when she saw several doctors and nurses run by, briefly one of them popped their head in the door of the break room.

“Dr. Mills, we have several incoming and could use all hands on deck.  Can you assist?”

Nodding quickly, Regina grabbed fresh scrubs from the cabinet and changed quickly, joining the remaining staff in the hallway.  The dispatcher was there already barking orders.

“We have four being brought in now.  Shootings.  Mills, Locksley, you’re in Trauma One. Craig, Turner in Trauma Two.  Gibbs, Banks in Trauma Three and Azzara and Horn in Trauma Four.  Nurses have the details.”

 _Great, stuck with the new guy_ , thought Regina.  _Hope he’s as good as they say, and he thinks, he is_.

Regina jogged toward Trauma One where the gurney had just been pushed in the door, stopping just outside to place her surgical cap and mask on and wash in the scrub sink.  As she scrubbed her hands and arms, the nurse was filling her in quickly on some of the details.

“Female, approximately 31 or 32. Sustained two shots.  One in the shoulder looks like a through and through with fragments remaining and one in the thigh that remains embedded.  Significant blood loss.  Fluids started.  Blood en route from BCP for transfusion.  Patient unresponsive.  Vitals low but stable.”

Regina nodded her head at the nurse, taking in all of the details.  Once at the door, she turned to press her back into it so that her hands remained sterile.  As she broke through the door, she turned to look at the patient on the table and froze dead in her tracks.  So sudden was her stop that the nurse bumped into her back, pushing her forward a few steps closer to the bed before Regina froze again.  Her eyes blew wide and the color drained completely from her face as she breathlessly whispered,

“Oh God, Emma.”

There on the table lay her wife.  No color was in her normally pink-tinged cheeks and her typically sparkling, playful eyes were closed and had dark circles surrounding them.  Her mouth was covered by a respiration mask and the sound of the machine used to deliver oxygen could be heard pumping at regular intervals behind her head.  Pulse, BP and blood saturation monitors were beeping in a weird cacophony throughout the room while IVs pumped life-sustaining fluids and medicine into her body.  Orders were being shouted back and forth across the bed by both doctors and nurses as instruments and supplies exchanged hands.  Emma’s patrol uniform jacket and shirt, along with her bra, had been cut, so that the material could be pulled back to expose her entire, upper left side which was covered in blood.  It drained actively from the wound in her shoulder each time the pressure was released to replace the gauze with a fresh stack.  The sheet beneath her head and shoulder was saturated red.  Her right shoe was off and her utility pants had been cut up the leg and through the waistband, her underwear with it.  All of the fabric had been peeled back to expose the entry wound on her thigh which was now swollen to almost twice its normal size and heavily bruised.   Around the bed lay gauze bandages soaked in blood and a trail of blood droplets from where Emma had been transferred from the stretcher to the bed just a few moments before.

Regina stood confused by the entire scene.  Her feet felt like lead and her ears rung with a high pitched sound turning every other noise or voice in the room into a garbled mess.  Her head swum with the site unfolding before her and she felt black starting to creep into her peripheral vision.

“DR. MILLS!!”

Regina sluggishly turned her head and tried to focus on who was calling her name.  She felt like she was swimming in gel and that everything was going in slow motion.  Several of the nurses looked at her perplexed wondering why she hadn’t moved to help.

“DR. MILLS!”

The second time snapped Regina back to the present and she turned to look directly at Dr. Locksley, the confusion apparent in her face and eyes. 

“Dr. Mills, do you know this woman?”

Regina simply nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

“How well do you know her Dr. Mills?”

This wasn’t a yes or no question and Regina had to respond.  She knew the consequences of what she was about to say.

“She…she is my wife.”

Looking directly at her, Dr. Locksley said what he knew was required.

“Dr. Mills, I need you to recuse yourself from this case.  Your relationship has the potential to affect the care of this patient.  You must remove yourself from this room immediately.”

Regina looked at Dr. Locksley with panic in her eyes.  She knew this order was absolute and she wasn’t going to sway him.  Her own oath and medical training had taught her as much.  She also had no idea what good she could be to Emma if she stayed.  She couldn’t even form coherent thoughts or words.  But she knew that her feet didn’t seem to want to move on their own either.

A bit more softly, Dr. Locksley simply stated again.

“Dr. Mills…. I need you to go. Now.  We will take care of her.”

Looking at one of the nurses, Dr. Locksley wordlessly requested her to lead Regina out into the hallway.  Putting her arm around Regina’s shoulders, the nurse guided her gently towards the door of the Trauma Room.

After stepping through the door of the room and back out into the hall, Regina pulled off her cap and mask and leaned her back against the wall, tipping her head back, taking deep breaths and trying to sort out the incredible litany of emotions that she was feeling.  Fear.  Anger.  Panic. Loneliness. Helplessness.

“Dr. Mills, I know this isn’t the best time, but it would help if we could get some information.”

Regina looked at the nurse blankly and nodded.  At least what she knew might help in her wife’s care, even if she couldn’t be in the room herself.

“What is your wife’s full name?”

“E-Emma S-Swan…..” Regina managed to stutter out before appending, “-Mills.”

“We have your wife’s blood type as AB negative, is that correct?”

“Yes.”  Regina responded, barely above a whisper and nodded to confirm her response.

“Is she allergic to any medications?”

“No.” Again, Regina shook her head.

“Is there any chance that she could be pregnant?”

This question struck Regina like a ton of bricks as the news that she had been so eager to share with Emma earlier came flooding back to her and the realization hit her that she might be taking the next chapter of their lives forward on her own; without her love,  without her wife, without her other half.  Looking at the nurse, Regina could feel her head swimming again, worse than before.  The entire hallway seemed to be spinning.  The loud ringing was in her ears again and she winced and brought her hands to cover them reflexively, trying to make it stop.  She could see spots of dark and light in her peripheral vision.  Her chest began to heave as she struggled to catch her breath, then, turning her head, her entire body started to convulse as she vomited the contents of her stomach into the floor.

* * *

Regina was doubled over with her arms wrapped around her waist as she heaved violently again and again, expelling less and less every time.  Her body was shaking uncontrollably and her eyelids were fluttering open and closed, dragging her between light and darkness, as her eyes themselves were trying to roll back.  She was fighting hard to stay in control and lucid, but she felt herself starting to succumb and she silently wished that unconsciousness would just take her.  The nurse was holding Regina’s waist to prevent her falling forward, but she was having a hard time keeping her hold and balance due to the jerking of Regina’s body.

Regina could hear several feet running towards them from down the main hallway.  She couldn’t distinguish or separate the voices at this point, so she didn’t know how many people were there, but she could catch some of the almost-screaming conversation going back and forth over her head.

“She’s staring to seize…get her on a stretcher NOW!”

“What the hell is going on?  What triggered her?”

“The woman in Trauma One.  It’s her wife.”

“Oh fuck!”

Once on the stretcher, Regina’s back would arch up and her heels would dig into the mattress intermittently as a new wave of seizing would short circuit her brain temporarily.  She could see a pen light being flashed briefly in her eyes and felt the pressure on her shoulders trying to hold her steady to the bed. 

“Here’s the sedative, Dr. Bell.”

“Regina, if you can hear me, we are going to give you this shot to help you relax.”

Eyes going wide, Regina started to flail and rock her body hard, straining against the hands holding her down.  Several times, she managed to push Dr. Bell’s hands away to prevent her from giving the dose.

“Regina…..I need you to stop fighting.  We are trying to help you.”

Regina managed to focus just long enough to groan one word through her clenched teeth.

“Baby.”

“Regina, is Emma pregnant?”

Regina shook her head in the negative.

“Regina, are you pregnant?”

Regina nodded in the affirmative.

“OK, Regina. I understand.”

Regina expelled a breath and stopped actively fighting as she heard Dr. Bell tell the nurse an alternate medicine to dispense.  Her body was still wracked intermittently with involuntary convulsions and she gritted her teeth riding out each one.  After a moment, she felt herself being rolled onto her right side.  Her scrubs were pulled down slightly to reveal the top of her buttock and hip and she felt only a momentary pinch at the site of the injection.  

Over the next few minutes, Regina would slowly feel her body relax and calm to the point that she was starting to sob out of relief, fear, embarrassment – it was hard to sort out one from the other.  It was only a few more minutes before Regina felt her eyelids growing heavy.  Finally, unable to keep them open, she drifted off into a dreamless and deep sleep.

* * *

 

It was several hours later when Regina awoke.  Groggily, she opened her eyes and tried to focus on her surroundings.  Her muscles ached and her mouth was dry and acidic.  Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she realized that she was in one of the smaller and rarely used exam rooms in the Trauma Center.  The lights were dimmed for sleeping and monitoring.  She slipped off the fingertip monitor before running her hands through her hair several times to smooth it.  She was relatively sure that people had been in and out of the room over the time that she had been asleep and figured it would only be a few more moments before the remote sensor told them that the cuff had been removed.  She was still seated at the edge of the bed when Dr. Bell entered the room.  She closed her eyes and braced herself, gripping tightly to the edge of the bed frame, terrified of what she was about to tell her.

“Regina,” she started in a soft tone.  A single tear slipped out of Regina’s eye and rolled down her cheek.

“Regina, the surgery was successful.  Emma is in ICU and resting comfortably.  She lost a lot of blood, but she is stable.  All of the foreign objects were removed.  Locksley expects her to make a full recovery.  She’s a strong woman.”

Regina covered her mouth as she began to sob quietly.  After a few moments, she managed to choke out a response.

“I- I need to thank him.”

Dr. Bell rolled a stool over to the bed and sat down on it facing Regina.  She took one of Regina’s hands in each of her own, and Regina looked up at her through watery eyes.

“Regina, you understand why Locksley couldn’t let you stay in there.” 

Regina nodded her head.

“Meghan, I am sorry for what happened in the hall.  I should apologize to the staff.  I assure you that it won’t happen again.”

“Regina, look at me.  No one expects an apology.”  Still holding one of Regina’s hands she pointed an index finger at the door to emphasize her point.

“There is not one of us that would have reacted any differently had we been in your shoes.  We don’t always expect you to be Dr. Mills, Chief Trauma Surgeon and consummate professional.”  Chuckling softly, she continued, “You are allowed to be Regina, too.  Sometimes we like her a little better anyways,” she finished with a wink and a gentle smile.

“Now, if you feel up to it, you may want to get cleaned up and head up to ICU.  I am sure there is a beautiful woman up there that might enjoy having her hand held for a while.  My wife tells me I’m already taken”

Regina let out a small, quiet laugh.

As Meghan made her way to the door, she stopped and looked back.

“Oh, and Regina, congratulations….to both of you.”

Slipping off the side of the bed, Regina stood on uncertain legs for a moment until she felt able to walk.  Exiting the room, she slowly made her way around the corner of the ancillary hallway where the room was located and entered the Main Hall of the Trauma Ward.  It was one of those times of momentary quiet that they rarely enjoyed and much of the staff that was on duty was gathered around the main desk, including Dr. Bell.  Wrapping her arms protectively around her middle, Regina tried to make herself as small as possible, looking at the floor, hoping she could pass without notice.  A slight hush fell over the group as she made her way past.  It was Dr. Bell that broke the tension for everyone.

“If you wanted a few days off, you really could have just asked for it.  No need for you and your wife to get all dramatic.”

Breaking a small smile, Regina thanked the heavens for her best friend and headed to the locker room to shower and change before heading up to the ICU.


	8. I Couldn't Protect You

**April 25, 2015**

**_Picture: Emma is giving a huge smile and a ‘thumbs up’ from a hospital bed_ ** _._

It had been over twenty-four hours since the surgery was performed which meant Emma was considered ‘out of the woods’.  The surgeons had successfully removed a spent bullet from Emma’s thigh and a significant amount of shrapnel from her shoulder.  All precaution was being taken and Emma would remain in ICU for the next few days, until the ‘all clear’ was given.  After that, she would be moved to a more private room and begin her therapy.  Regina was allowed to remain at her bedside in ICU despite visiting hours having closed hours ago.  Regina’s position at the hospital had earned her the right to stay, but no one at the hospital would have had the heart to tell her ‘no’ regardless. Word had already spread to the hospital staff that Dr. Mills’ wife had been shot and that Regina’s notification had consisted of entering the trauma room only to be shocked by who was waiting on the table.   Since most of the staff couldn’t even fathom what they would have done in that position, they felt that the appropriate course of action would be to give them the space and time they needed to be together, regulations be damned.  

So, in ICU, at Emma’s bedside, was where Regina found herself at 2AM.  Occasionally, she would stand to stretch her legs or walk to the nearest window, but she never ventured very far and always remained within a few paces of Emma’s bed.  Emma was under the best possible care and the hospital staff was second-to-none.  Regina could go home, and probably should go home, to rest and to eat, but she just couldn’t convince herself to leave.   Regina had repeated ‘fifteen more minutes and then I’ll go’ at least a dozen times during the course of the last twenty-four hours, but fifteen minutes stretched each time into an hour and then two. Occasionally, one of the staff would encourage her to take a break to eat, but each time she politely refused.  For the time being, the unspoken, standing order for each shift was to bring Dr. Mills coffee and a sandwich during their own mealtimes, since they knew Regina wouldn’t leave the side of the bed willingly or on her own.  No one was going to die on their watch and they certainly weren’t going to let them starve either.

For most of the twenty-four hours, Emma had slept peacefully.  She had been sedated for surgery and had never fully awoken before the staff started her regimen of pain meds and antibiotics.  The combination was administered regularly, and while they kept her reasonably comfortable, it was done at the expense of her consciousness.   

From her bedside chair, Regina looked at her wife and reached out to push some strands of hair from Emma’s forehead and tuck them behind her ear.  Emma’s right arm was the only one actually in her hospital gown and it lay limply at her side.  Fingertip monitors and IVs were taped to her hand and arm.  The remainder of her gown was simply draped over her body and the left shoulder had been pulled down and away to expose the thick layer of bandages that now covered sutures.  Dressing Emma this way simply made it easier for the nurses and doctors to access the surgery site for examination and bandage changes.  In the few times that the shoulder bandages had been changed, Regina had seen the effects of the bullet impact.  Bruising extended in every direction from under the gauze, spanning down Emma’s ribs, across her left breast and over her left shoulder.  Dark purple bruising covered much of Emma’s back on the left and her shoulder was propped awkwardly by thick layers of gauze that had been placed between her and the bed.  The bullet had left ragged holes and powder burns at the entry and exit site.  She would always have a slight scar, but Regina could see that the surgeons had done an incredible job at trying to minimize the lasting reminder.  Emma’s left arm was captured in a sling and laid across her stomach under the gown.  Light straps were wrapped around her torso and the sling to keep her arm immobile and ensure that sudden jerking in her sleep wouldn’t cause further damage.   A sheet and a thin blanket had been pulled up to cover Emma’s left leg and torso.  Her right leg remained over the covers and Emma’s lightly tanned skin was exposed from her toes to the top of her hip.  Emma’s thigh was heavily bandaged and, since she was due for a dressing change, a slight staining had already started to appear at the top of the gauze. 

The whole sight and situation was almost ethereal to Regina.  As Dr. Mills, she was exposed to post-trauma patient care every day; the monitoring, the dressing changes, the administration of meds, the simple changing of bed sheets or dressing gowns.  Hell, she, herself, had done or ordered it done for patients since her first day of clinicals.  As Regina Swan-Mills, as Emma’s wife, however, she was lost in the helplessness that she felt seeing someone she loved hurting and exposed and vulnerable.  She couldn’t remember a time when she had ever seen Emma like this and it frightened her to think of how easily she could have been taken away.

Leaning forward, Regina placed her palm and fingers on Emma’s right cheek and brushed her thumb lightly over her wife’s lips.  Intubation tubes, respirator masks, suction pumps and other devices needed for her surgery or care had left Emma’s lips cracked and dry.   Last time they had made love, Regina had brushed Emma’s lips with her thumb just as she was doing now.  All she had felt was warmth and softness, safety and comfort.  She remembered Emma’s shy smile and the way her piercing green eyes had looked at her before she kissed Regina’s thumb and then scooped her up to carry her to the bedroom.

“Oh, my Emma.  I am so sorry”, Regina sighed softly.  The tears that had been welling up in her eyes spilled over onto her cheeks.  Straightening herself, Regina pulled her cardigan sweater around her tightly and kept her arms wrapped around her torso as if hugging herself.  Bringing her palms up, Regina wiped the remnants of her tears that had rolled down her cheeks and then re-crossed her arms over her torso before walking over to the nurses’ station in the middle of the ICU. 

Regina had approach so quietly that the nurse had not even looked up from her work.  Barely above a whisper and with a voice that was slightly cracking, Regina spoke.

“Excuse me, can I get some petroleum?  Her lips are so dry.”

Slowly the nurse looked up at Regina and seemed surprised to see her standing there.  Not that the request was odd, but Regina had asked for nothing from anyone up to this point and she looked so vulnerable and different from what the nurse was used to that it seemed like a completely different person standing there.  The person in front of her wasn’t a Trauma Department Chair or a Surgeon.  She was a scared wife and a soon-to-be mother and she needed help and assurance.  The nurse could see the light tracks of the tears that had fallen recently and been wiped away from her cheeks.

Gently, the nurse smiled at Regina.

“Of course, Dr. Mills.  Would you like me to take care of that for you?” asked the nurse softly.

“I can do it, if you can provide me with the supplies” was the response.  There was no animosity or anger in the tone, just the simple statement of a spouse that wanted the chance to do something, anything, for their significant other, so that they wouldn’t spend the hours feeling so helpless and alone.

“Certainly, Dr. Mills.  Let me get you what you need”.  The nurse rose from her desk and grabbed a small cup into which she deposited some salve.  She handed over the cup to Regina.

“Thank you for taking care of her.”  Almost absent-mindedly, Regina added “I am not sure what I would do without her.”

Yes, most definitely, this wasn’t Dr. Regina Mills standing in front of the nurse.  This was Regina Swan-Mills and she was scared.

“It is our pleasure Dr. Mills.  Please do let me know if you need anything else or need assistance.” said the nurse.  Regina simply nodded as she turned from the nurses’ station with her small cup in hand, holding it like it was the most precious gift she could give to Emma right now.

When Regina returned to Emma’s bed, she noticed that Emma hadn’t moved or stirred from the position in which she had left her.  Pressing the front of her thighs into the bedframe, Regina leaned over Emma and dipped her index finger into the salve.  Slowly, she traced her fingers over Emma’s lips, working the healing balm into her skin.  Closing her eyes, Regina thought back to the holidays.

* * *

 

_Regina pulled the Mercedes into the driveway and laid her head back against the headrest with a grin.  She couldn’t believe that she and Emma would have this entire weekend together, uninterrupted.  The holidays normally brought hectic times, mid-term exams at school, final evals for the clinical students and a steady stream of nut jobs that would wander into Trauma daily with injuries caused by anything from severe oven burns to falls off roofs (usually while stringing lighting) to chainsaw accidents (cause I had to get that perfect tree).  But now, midterms were done, evals were completed and the students were off for the holidays.  By the grace of God, Regina had managed to secure two, full, weekend days away from the Trauma Center and Emma had managed to do the same from the station._

_On the way home, Regina had stopped by the local bodega for fresh pasta and ingredients so that she could make her lasagna, a family favorite.  The word ‘family’ still sounded so new, and almost foreign, to her.  Perhaps it was just odd because the word family normally implied more than two people and, while they had started fertility treatments, it was still just Regina and Emma, at least for now.  The doctors had encouraged them to take some time off together, to get away, and relax.  ‘The less stress, the higher the chance of success’ was repeated over and over.  Easier said than done for sure.  For now, they did what they could and just hoped for the best._

_A light snow had started to fall.  Considering it was mid-December, it wasn’t surprising, but Regina enjoyed it a lot more when she imagined being snowed in with Emma.  It was 6PM and she knew that Emma would be home in about one hour.  Carefully, she grabbed her work and grocery bags and headed towards the house.   Entering the kitchen, she deposited the grocery bags on the counter first and then headed to the study to place her laptop and medical equipment bag in the desk chair._

_Before doing anything more, Regina wanted to change into something comfortable.  Most people would consider scrubs the most comfortable thing to work in ever, but for Regina, it was still just a uniform and she wanted something softer and more feminine for the evening.  Crossing in front of the large stone fireplace, Regina turned left down the hallway and entered the Master Bedroom.  On the bed was a handwritten note…_

_I will be home at 7PM sharp.  Wait for me to cook dinner? Xoxo Love, Emma_

_Regina smiled to herself.  Cooking with Emma usually didn’t mean she was getting help.  It meant Emma sneaking around, grabbing handfuls of this and that and popping it in her mouth while she thought Regina wasn’t looking.  Simmering pots were opened under the pretense of ‘taste tasting’ and something usually ended up burnt or, at least, on fire.  At the same time, cooking with Emma meant a bottle of wine being shared, strong embraces from behind, warm lips on Regina’s neck and shoulder, light touches and accidental brushing of fingers on arms, hips, stomachs, breasts, nipples….  All promises of the night that usually followed._

_Slowly making her way into the master closet, Regina selected a pair of black yoga pants and a thin, sleeveless white wrap shirt to wear.  Everything would fit snugly, but comfortably, accentuating her body in all of the right places.  She opted to forgo panties completely but covered herself in a black lace bra which was then layered over with the selected outfit.  She padded barefooted back to the great room._

_With nothing more to do until Emma returned home, Regina decided to start a fire in the fireplace of the Great Room.  Due to the design of the house, the fire would be visible in both the Great Room and the bedroom.  It also meant that anyone in either of those rooms could see into the other through the firebox.  It wasn’t really an issue, for now.  When children were added to the house, they would definitely have to consider a redesign…._

_With the fire started and only a few minutes until Emma arrived, Regina busied herself in the kitchen with organizing the ingredients for the lasagna and getting out the corkscrew for the wine that would inevitably show up along with her wife.  Regina almost didn’t hear the low rumble of the Camaro as Emma arrived home.  Stomping her boots heavily on the outside mat, Emma entered the mudroom and shut the door before cautiously peeking her head around the corner of the kitchen entrance._

_“Hi, beautiful” she quietly said to Regina as she stepped into the kitchen._

_Emma was dressed in her patrol uniform, navy blue utility pants, navy blue shirt, navy tie, and 9”, lace-up military boots.  Her thick, winter nylon coat was open at the front and was emblazoned with POLICE on the back in bold, white lettering.  The fur collar was dusted with a layer of fresh snow. The ensemble was completed by her utility belt which hung with an assortment of tools including handcuffs, .45 pistol, nightstick and radio.  Her hair was pulled up into a bun which ensured her ability to see her surroundings and prevented suspects from grabbing a handful of hair when they decided to resist arrest or be belligerent in general._

_Regina swallowed thickly and slowly as her eyes drank Emma in and Emma smirked playfully at her.  Despite trying to deny it, Emma knew that Regina was a full-on Badge Bunny and the sight of her in a uniform never failed to make Regina breathe a little heavier and feel a little hornier.  Chewing on her bottom lip, Regina took in Emma from head to toe and Emma stood stock still for as long as she needed to appease her wife.  In her hands, Emma held four bottles of white wine.  Emma never failed to deliver and she had planned for the entire weekend in case there was snow or they were, perhaps, preoccupied…._

_After what seemed like minutes, Regina shook herself out of her daze and found her voice, whispering “Perhaps you want to change into something more comfortable and then we can cook?”_

_Smiling a little more broadly, Emma set the bottles of wine on the counter and stepped close.  Slipping a hand around Regina’s lower back and slipping a hand under Regina’s hair to lightly support the back of her head, Emma closed the gap between them, placing a soft kiss on Regina’s lips.  Touching their foreheads together, Emma looked up at Regina through her lashes and whispered playfully,_

_“Are you sure? I can always leave the uniform on for a while if you prefer.  I might even let you play with the cuffs…”_

_Regina rolled her eyes and slapped Emma playfully on the shoulder._

_“Tempting as that sounds, I don’t want anything to remind us of work this weekend.”_

_“I think that sounds like a great plan.  I still can’t believe we get the entire weekend together.”_

_“Neither can I, but I think we should probably get started don’t you? I would prefer not to waste a minute.”_

_Hanging her jacket on the hook in the mudroom and rechecking the security of the door locks, Emma started towards the bedroom.  Regina’s sultry voice called after her as she was half way across the great room._

_“Oh, and Emma….you might consider keeping those cuffs within arm’s length of the bed this weekend.  You know.  Just in case...”_

_With wide eyes, Emma threw a glance over her shoulder to see Regina smirking at her from the kitchen.  Shaking her head, Emma grinned back before heading down the hall to the Master Bedroom._

_While Emma changed, Regina busied herself with pulling out pots and pans and utensils that would be needed for cooking.  She was so focused on getting the water on to boil that she didn’t notice that Emma had reentered the room until she had sidled up behind her and placed her hands on Regina’s hips.  Immediately, Regina relaxed back into Emma as strong, muscular arms tightened around her stomach.  Regina leaned her head back against Emma’s shoulder.  Wordlessly, Emma dipped her head and placed her lips gently against the side of Regina’s neck, kissing lightly and flicking her tongue softly against her pulse point._

_“So what’s for dinner?” asked Emma after she reluctantly detached from Regina’s skin._

_“Lasagna…..Or Me...” replied Regina nonchalantly, just to see what Emma’s reaction would be._

_Regina felt Emma’s hands at her hips at the same time she felt the low groan in Emma’s chest.  Regina allowed herself to be turned around and the top of her rear was pushed firmly against the edge of the counter top.  Emma was dressed in a pair of sweat pants and a white tank top.  The waistband of the pants dipped low in front and accentuated the dip in Emma’s hips.  Her tank top fell short of her waistband, but long enough to cover her belly button.  Emma had let her hair down and it fell in soft, blonde curls down her back and around her shoulders._

_“How about lasagna for dinner and you for dessert?” replied Emma as she captured Regina’s lips in a deep kiss.  Opening her mouth slightly, Regina allowed Emma’s tongue to explore her own slowly, thoroughly and gently while she did the same in return.  Placing her hands on Emma’s shoulders, Regina could feel the striated muscles and she ran her fingers down Emma’s toned biceps and further down over her forearms.  It took no time for their breaths to quicken and their chests to begin to rise and fall deeply.  Breaking the kiss, Regina looked down with a blush and a grin._

_“We should probably cook?”_

_“I’ll open the wine” returned Emma with a grin.  “I figured you were making pasta, but I thought a nice, crisp white would be great.  I got four varieties.  The guy at the store was trying to explain the difference, but, frankly, I was thinking about you and wasn’t really paying attention.  I figured it was OK to drink considering you’re not…” Emma’s eyes widened and Regina saw the look of panic flash in them before Emma looked down at the ground and sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.  She mentally kicked herself that her rambling had broached a subject that they were trying not to think about at all this weekend, which was odd considering the entire weekend had been specifically planned to help the entire process along._

_Regina watched Emma with her eyebrow raised.  She could just imagine the conversation that Emma was having with herself right now and was, frankly, surprised that most of it hadn’t actually come out of her mouth.  Regina could tell that Emma was struggling with her thoughts._

_“Regina, I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean…”._

_Stepping forward, Regina placed a finger under Emma’s chin.  She raised her head and locked brown eyes with green._

_“I think a glass of wine would go great with dinner, sweetheart.”_

_Emma smiled broadly as she set about opening and pouring the wine in two glasses._

_Regina busied herself with making the pasta sauce and set Emma to work on some non-dangerous tasks (for both of them)._

_Regardless of what Regina asked her to do, Emma seemed happy to oblige and carried everything out safely and to completion.  While she worked, Emma snacked on this and that, raw pasta, heaps of cheese, crunchy breadsticks dipped in the sauce. Each time Emma picked up something up, she would share it with Regina in some way.  Regina got to taste her pasta sauce from the tips of Emma’s fingers as Emma’s other hand covered Regina’s eyes and drew her head back gently against her strong shoulder.  Sucking each digit into her mouth, Regina swirled her tongue slowly around each tip to make sure she got all of the sauce. She was rewarded with a deep sigh and a throaty, low growl as Emma trailed her, now clean, fingertips down Regina’s chin and throat.  Throughout all of it, the wine flowed freely and there was an easy, relaxed, playful feeling in their home._

_By the time the lasagna was layered and placed in the oven, neither Emma nor Regina had much of an appetite.  They had sampled everything at least three times and the constant, sensual contact that they maintained throughout their prep and cooking now made eating an afterthought vs the main event._

_With the lull in cooking activity, Emma and Regina found themselves, once again, kissing deeply by the stove, the top of Regina’s rear resting against the edge of the counter while Emma pressed against her front from thigh to breast.  As they kissed, Emma’s hands slid under the hem of Regina’s shirt, lightly caressing the warm smooth skin of her lower back.  She turned her hands so that her fingertips skirted under the waistband of Regina’s yoga pants and smiled into their kiss when she realized that Regina was not wearing panties.  Gently and without thought, Emma’s fingers started kneading the muscles in Regina’s lower back and at the top of her ass.  Regina groaned slightly and relaxed more into their kiss._

_“Someone is in need of a massage.”_

_Regina nodded her head slowly as she and Emma continued to kiss.  Massages were a rare indulgence for Regina since she had very little time to herself between the hospital, university and her personal life, but hours in surgery and walking the hospital floors took a toll on her back and she wouldn’t argue if Emma felt compelled to be her massage therapist for the evening._

_Emma kneaded her fingertips a few more times into Regina’s lower back before pulling her gently from the counter by her hips.  Emma turned them so that they were now facing the kitchen island, Regina’s back to Emma’s front.  Emma nudged Regina forward so that the front of her hips touched the island countertop.  Slipping her hands under the hem of Regina’s shirt on each side, Emma slowly guided her palms up the soft skin on Regina’s sides, her shirt gathering on Emma’s wrists as her hands climbed higher.  As Emma’s hands passed her breasts, Regina lifted her arms, allowing Emma to slide the shirt up and off.  The clasp of her bra was quickly released and straps dropped from her shoulders, down her arms and onto the floor.  Emma wrapped strong arms around Regina’s torso and her arms were soon covered by Regina’s own.  Regina loved being held like this, it felt warm and safe.  Emma kissed Regina lightly where her shoulder met her neck.  Regina leaned her head over to allow Emma better access and she took full advantage placing open mouthed kisses onto Regina’s neck and shoulder, nipping the skin occasionally and then soothing it by swirling her tongue gently over the affected area.   While she did this, Emma slid her hands up, palming Regina’s breasts and kneading them slowly.  Capturing Regina’s dusky nipples between the pads of her forefinger and thumb, Emma pulled and twisted gently.  She was rewarded with soft moans and whimpers and could feel Regina’s breath quicken to a pant.  Nipples hardened quickly into stiff peaks beneath Emma’s ministrations and Emma smiled into Regina’s shoulder._

_Placing her palm and splayed fingers between Regina’s shoulder blades, Emma pressed Regina forward gently so that her upper body now rested on the top of the island, breasts pressed into the marble, feet on the floor.  Regina could feel Emma’s hips pressing into her ass as she leaned over her back.  Lowering her head slightly, Emma started at the base of Regina’s spine and placed soft kisses on each vertebra, working her way up slowly to the middle of Regina’s back, as far as she could go comfortably.  Locks of blonde hair danced and tickled Regina’s sides and back throughout the process.  Taking Regina’s hands in each of hers, Emma guided them to the edge of the counter now above Regina for her to hold._

_“This will help stretch your muscles and spine.” whispered Emma._

_As Regina turned her head to the side and rested her cheek on the counter between her outstretched arms, Emma pushed a stray lock of Regina’s hair back behind her ear and trailed her fingertips lovingly over Regina’s cheek._

_“God, you are so beautiful.”_

_Regina smiled softly and closed her eyes. Emma started again at top of Regina’s hips and pressed her thumbs deeply into the muscles on each side of Regina’s spine.  As thumbs and fingers rotated into flesh, Regina and Emma could feel the knots and kinks being worked out of tired, aching muscles and Regina relaxed deeper into the countertop.  Regina was so relaxed, in fact, that she barely noticed when Emma finished kneading her back and slipped her hands into each side of her yoga pants.  Regina was definitely not going to protest.  She would willingly give Emma anything she wanted tonight.  She needed this time.  They both needed this time._

_Emma slid her hands down Regina’s hips and thighs, pushing her pants down as she went until they pooled on the floor at Regina’s feet.  Regina stepped out of the pants and Emma brushed them to the side.  Emma continued her massage, pressing deeply into the muscles of Regina’s perfect backside. Her hands then moved to Regina’s hips and when she nudged her thigh gently between Regina’s legs, Regina widened her stance eagerly._

_Dropping to one knee behind Regina, Emma’s strong hands encircled her right thigh and began kneading tense muscles.  Hands moved down to calves and ankles before encircling her left thigh and repeating the same process._

_As Emma completed her work on Regina’s left leg, she looked up.  Regina’s core was open to her and glistened with wetness that had accumulated there over the course of the evening and during the massage.  Breathing in deeply, Emma could smell Regina’s heady arousal.  Leaning forward, Emma drew her tongue slowly through slick folds, tracing a line from Regina’s clit to her entrance and then back down, Regina’s sweet and salty wetness coating her tongue.  Emma was rewarded with a deep groan and sigh and she felt Regina’s hips shift back slightly, encouraging her to continue.  Emma didn’t need to be asked twice._

_Leaning back in, Emma drew Regina’s clit between her lips, sucking gently while flicking her tongue against the bundle of nerves.  Releasing, she swirled her tongue around the hardening bud before repeating the process again.  Running her hands up the back of Regina’s thighs, Emma stopped in the crease between Regina’s thighs and bottom, using her thumbs to part Regina’s lips.  Emma circled Regina’s entrance slowly with her tongue as Regina rocked back and forth trying to find relief from the teasing.  Emma pushed her tongue barely inside her entrance, circling slowly before withdrawing each time Regina’s hips rocked back._

_“Please, Emma” was breathlessly whispered from above._

_Emma stood and Regina huffed, frustrated at the loss of contact.  Before Regina could turn to protest, Emma’s body was partially laying over her back.  Skin on skin, Emma was completely naked.  A small patch of moist, blonde curls was pressed into the left side of her ass and Emma’s hard nipples brushed against Regina’s back as she ghosted her lips over Regina’s shoulder blade.  Regina could tell that Emma wanted her as badly right now as she wanted Emma.  Emma ran her left hand up Regina’s left arm until it covered Regina’s own, still gripping the edge of the counter.  Entwining their fingers there, Emma lay her cheek against her bicep so she could look at her wife’s face.  She relished the feeling of Regina’s bare skin on her own for a moment and squeezed Regina’s hip with her right hand._

_“I need you so badly, Regina” whispered Emma as her right hand slid across Regina’s back and between her thighs.   Pressing her fingertips into Regina’s wet folds, Emma circled Regina’s clit firmly with the pads of her index and middle fingers, drawing them up to circle her entrance before sliding them back down to tease her clit again.  Emma repeated the pattern over and over, watching her wife’s eyes intently and holding her left hand tightly._

_Each time Emma’s fingers touched her entrance; Regina’s hips would twitch and rock back, her eyes silently pleading with Emma to take her, to touch her how she needed._

_“Tell me.  Tell me what you want.  Tell me what you need, my love.”_

_“I need you inside of me, Emma. Please, I need you inside of me.”_

_Circling her entrance one more time, Emma pressed a single fingertip just inside of Regina._

_“Is this what you need, baby?”_

_Emma watched her wife’s face as Regina’s eyes closed and she nodded._

_Pressing her finger in to the knuckle, Emma extracted it to the tip only to slide it in gently again.  Soon, her first finger was joined by a second and after a few more strokes, a third.  Regina felt deliciously stretched and filled by her wife and lover._

_They quickly found a rhythm that suited their needs and Regina moaned into every stroke.  Emma’s gentle strokes soon turned more fervent as did Regina’s rocking of her hips against Emma’s hands._

_By this time, any daze that had been left from the massage was gone.  Regina’s left hand still gripped the counter’s edge above her, but her other hand had reached down to grab the edge below her.  Pushing and pulling with her hands she found that she could rock hard against her wife’s skilled fingers.  Her forehead was pressed to the counter and her eyes were closed as she panted heavily against the granite._

_“Don’t fucking stop.  Please don’t fucking stop” gasped out Regina with each of Emma’s strong strokes._

_Releasing Regina’s left hand, Emma raised herself to stand behind her wife.  As she stood, she took in Regina’s body.  A thin layer of perspiration covered the light olive skin of her back and Emma could see the damp strands of hair that had fallen from behind Regina’s ear clinging to her cheek and forehead.  Her body was toned, but soft and feminine with incredible curves and an ass that left Emma breathless.   Regina’s hands were pressed flat against the granite counter now, the pads of her fingers pressing hard into the surface._

_Emma continued to press her fingers in and out strongly, twisting slightly with each stroke.  Drawing the fingers of her left hand up Regina’s thigh, Emma pressed the index and middle fingers of her left hand against Regina’s clit and rubbed hard using circular strokes._

_Turning her fingers over, palm to the ground, Emma brushed hard against the rough patch that she knew would give her wife release.  Feeling Regina’s walls start to clench with her impending orgasm, Emma rolled Regina’s clit firmly between the thumb and forefinger of her other hand._

_There was a brief moment of silence as Regina drew a deep breath.  As her orgasm hit, Regina pressed her upper body off the counter by her hands, arched her back and looked forward with her eyes closed.  A guttural cry fell from her slightly opened lips._

_“Oh God, yes, Emma!”_

_Emma stilled her hands and allowed Regina to twitch and rock and buck her hips against her fingers however she needed to prolong her orgasm.  Every so often, Emma would brush Regina’s clit softly earning another moan and a jerk of her hips.  The site of Regina coming undone was beautiful and Emma would gladly watch it a thousand times._

_Soon Regina’s hips slowed and her breathing evened out as she took deep, calming breaths.  She lowered herself and rested her chest and forehead back against the counter totally spent.  Emma withdrew her fingers slowly from her wife and leaned over her to place light kisses on the salty skin of her back._

_Emma felt Regina’s body dip as her legs gave way beneath her. Acting quickly, Emma put her left arm under Regina’s legs and helped her lean back, cradling Regina’s back in the crook of her other arm so she held Regina bridal style.  Emma lifted Regina easily whispering,_

_“It’s OK.  I’ve got you my love.  You’re safe.  I’ll protect you.”_

_Regina laid her forehead into the curve of Emma’s neck and threaded the fingers of her right hand into the soft curls at the back of her head as Emma carried her over to the couch in front of the fire. Laying Regina down onto the soft leather, Emma covered her wife with a thick quilt that hung on the back of the couch.  Crouching beside the couch, Emma traced the lines of Regina’s face._

_Regina barely heard Emma whisper “Sleep now, beautiful” as she succumbed to her exhaustion._

* * *

Snapping back to the present, Regina looked at her wife as she lay in bed, the soft beeping of the monitors continuing at regular intervals.  Sitting down in the chair close to the bedside, Regina gently took Emma’s hand in her own and squeezed it as the tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall on her cheeks.  Sobbing quietly by her side, Regina softly whispered to Emma,

“You protect me, but I couldn’t protect you, Emma.  I am so sorry. Please stay with me.  I can’t lose you.”

Laying her head onto the side of the mattress near Emma’s shoulder, Regina succumbed to her exhaustion again and slept.

 


	9. I Brought Google

**May, 2015**

**_Picture: Emma stands between two, older women, both dressed in hospital uniforms, arms slung over their shoulders.  One woman is smiling, the other scowling_ ** _. **A HUGE smile covers Emma’s face.**_

Over the course of the next two weeks, Emma was moved from ICU to a step-down unit for additional observation.  Once they were satisfied that she was capable of starting therapy, the doctors recommended a move to the on-site rehab center for two, additional weeks for intensive, orthopedic therapy.  The doctors explained that it was a necessary step in her regaining strength in her leg and getting back the full mobility in her shoulder.  Regina suspected the doctors may have simply had their fill of tantrums and badgering as Emma argued with them daily to be released to go home.  Moving her to rehab was easier than just outright killing her and trying to figure out where to hide her body.  Right now, Regina couldn’t really blame them.

“The fuuuucccckkkk, Regina,” Emma whined,”Why do I have to go to rehab now?  And for TWO WEEKS? I can’t take it here anymore.  The food sucks and so does the TV.  There is NOTHING to do…”

Emma was sitting on the edge of her bed in the step-down unit in a pair of cutoff sweat pants, a tank top and a zippered hoodie, waiting as they transferred her things to the rehab center.  Her arm was out of the sling, but her shoulder was still bandaged with thick pads held in place with gauze strips running every which way, including over her chest, under her opposite arm and back again.  The entire thing was held tight by ace bandages.   Her mid-thigh was wrapped in similar gauze and ace bandages and the outline of the absorbent padding could be seen beneath.  Regina stood in front of her in her trauma scrubs, one hand on her hip and the other alternating between pinching the bridge of her nose and rubbing her temple.  She had been called to the floor mid-shift to help diffuse the situation and talk some sense into her wife, so they could speed the transfer along.  Seeing the look on Regina’s face when she entered the ward was all it took to clear the room and give her some one-on-one time with Emma.

“Emma, seriously, I don’t want to do this with you today.  I am extremely busy and extremely tired and I think am coming down with something.  You need rehab and eating Cheetos on the couch in front of the Cartoon Network at home does NOT count as therapy.  You had serious injuries and you need to rebuild your strength and reflexes to at least 75% before they will let you come home.”

“I can already move my arm around and it has only been like 10 days.  Isn’t that enough?” asked Emma desperately.

“No, Emma.”

“I can even walk around.”

Emma hopped off the bed, but didn’t anticipate the jolt when her foot hit the floor and the bolt of pain that hit her leg.  Wincing, her knee started to buckle, but Regina caught her before she could fall.  It took all of Regina’s strength to get Emma standing and replaced back on the bed.  When done, Regina was livid and raised her voice to the point that both she and Emma were pretty sure that anyone passing by was going to hear this conversation.  At this point Regina didn’t care.

“Dammit, Emma, just stop it!  Stop arguing with me and stop arguing with the doctors and nurses.  You’re going to rehab and that’s it!  I am not discussing this with you anymore.  I will see you in your room after I get off shift.  I am done with this conversation.”

Regina turned sharply and slammed the door open, her eyes brimming with tears.  She walked quickly back to the trauma locker room and made a beeline for the restrooms where she promptly emptied the sparse contents of her stomach into one of the toilets.  Regina heaved several more times until she was expelling nothing but water, and then nothing, before flushing, washing up and returning to the locker room.  Sitting on one of the benches, Regina placed her elbows on her knees, her fingers on her forehead and palms covering her eyes.  She whispered to no one in a tired and weak voice,

“Please, Emma, I need you to get better for us.  I can’t do this alone for much longer.”

* * *

 

Emma wasn’t sure where her Physical Therapist, David, had gotten his degree from, but she was pretty sure he had a Master’s in Medieval Torture Techniques.  She hurt.  Everywhere.  Bad.  And this was after only a 2 hour session.  Tomorrow, he said, they were going to try for three hours.

_Yay, me_ , thought Emma to herself a she looked around her empty rehab room.

At least, he had cleared her to walk around as she felt able.  He even issued her a cuff-crutch to help, if she got tired, but encouraged her not to use it and to try to walk independently as much as possible.

_Slow and steady.  Stop if you need to_ , recalled Emma.

Rather than sit in the room, Emma decided to take advantage of her new-found freedom.  Dealing with the pain from the therapy sessions was a more pleasurable option, at this point, than being bored out of her skull.  Heading out the door of her room, Emma took off slowly down the hall.

The rehab center was actually pretty nice once a person got out of the confines of their room.  Patient rooms were set up in a “V” with the nurses’ station in a spacious, circular lobby at the juncture of the two hallways.  Around the lobby, there were doors leading into a recreation room, individual therapy rooms, and a decent-sized gym.  To the right of the nurses’ station was a short hallway leading to another part of the hospital.  Emma was curious, so she headed off that way.  As she approached the hallway, she saw that both sides were covered with floor to ceiling windows. On the left, the windows showed the main therapy area where she had been earlier that day.  It was filled with medicine balls, exercise equipment, mats, and bars used to support walking.  Emma’s therapist caught her eye and gave her a huge smile and wave before returning to his current patient.  Emma’s smile probably resembled more of a cringe as she thought about their two hour session earlier, but she tried to look as chipper as possible.

Opposite the therapy room, the windows looked out over a patio and gardens where the patients could relax, eat, read or spend time with friends and family.  Only a few brave souls were out there now because Maine was still trapped in the remaining cold of spring, but Emma guessed the place could be pretty nice in the summer.  She prayed she wouldn’t still be there to see it though.

Continuing on, Emma entered another round, lobby area.  This one, though, felt vaguely familiar.  Stopping, Emma scanned left and right.  Clinics lined the circular walls and each was fronted by a waiting area that could be seen from the lobby through glass walls reaching floor to ceiling.  Emma’s eyes stopped when she recognized one of the waiting areas.  It was the fertility clinic where Regina was a patient.  Taking a breath, Emma made her way slowly over to the door.  With all of the craziness of the past few weeks, she couldn’t place when their next appointment was.  For all she knew, it may have already past.  She figured now was as good a time as any to find out.

A few women and their significant others sat in the waiting area.  They were deep in couple’s conversations and no one even bothered looking up as Emma entered.

_Not surprising_ , thought Emma.  Nerves and muted anticipation seemed to live in this waiting room.  Most of the wait time was spent reassuring each other that this would be the time that it worked and that, if it didn’t, there was always the next appointment.  And the next.  And the next.  That endless cycle of ‘and the next’ was where she and Regina were now.

Emma limped slowly to the desk where a pretty nurse in her mid-thirties was sitting.

“Excuse me,” said Emma in a hushed whisper as if trying to maintain some sense of reverence and respect in this place.

“Hello there, how can I help you today?” returned the nurse with a bright smile.

“Well, my wife and I come here for treatment.  Actually, my wife comes here for treatment.  I just mainly wait around and offer moral support.  Anyways, I had an accident about two weeks ago and have been in this hospital.  I think we may have had an appointment that we missed.  Or one coming up.  I am not sure.  I have lost track of time.  Can you help me?”

“I think I can help with that,” said the nurse with a soft smile.  “What’s the patient’s name?”

“Regina Swan-Mills.”

The nurse typed a few things out on her keyboard.

“Yes.  Here we go.  Regina Swan-Mills.  And you are?”

“Emma Swan-Mills.  I am her wife.”

“Yes.  Well, it seems that your wife’s records were transferred about that same time, two weeks ago.”

Emma furrowed her brow and looked at the nurse in confusion. 

“Transferred?  Transferred where?”

“Well, it says here that her file has been transferred to obstetrics.”

Emma looked at the nurse quizzically and shrugged her shoulders as if waiting for some additional information that would make all the puzzle pieces come together.  The nurse simply shook her head, chuckled and smiled at Emma.

“Congratulations, dear, you and your wife are going to be Moms.”

Emma’s eyes were blown wide with shock.

“When?”

“It says here that your wife was informed about a two weeks ago.  April 27 to be exact.  Oh, I see she works here.  It was probably sent directly down to Trauma as a professional courtesy.”

The same day Emma had been shot. 

_Oh god, Regina must have found out about the baby and her on the same day._

Emma grasped the edge of the desk as she fumbled with her cuff crutch because she was starting to feel like she needed the support.  The nurse reached her hand out and laid it atop Emma’s gently.

“Take a deep breath, dear.  Everything is OK.”

Emma found the nurse’s eyes with her own and she saw the same gentle smile that she saw earlier.  She managed to relax enough to be able to ask her next question.

“Do you know when our first appointment is?”

“Well, it’s your lucky day, they finally got us all interconnected so we can help schedule across departments.  Let me take a look here.”

The nurse typed a few more things out on her keyboard.  After a few second wait, she replied.

“Looks like your first appointment was this morning with Dr. Whale.”

Emma’s face fell completely as she looked at the nurse.  The nurse returned a sad look as the puzzle pieces clicked into place for her as well.  Dejectedly, Emma responded,

“Thank you for all of your help.”

Emma limped away from the desk, leaning heavily on her crutch, and exited the clinic door, walking through the lobby and back across the glass hallway into the rehab area.

Emma’s mind was swimming and spinning with questions: Why hadn’t Regina told her about the baby?  Why didn’t Regina tell her about the appointment?  How long was she planning to wait before she said something?  Was she having second thoughts about the baby?  Was she having second thoughts about Emma?  How far along was she?  Was everything OK?  How did the appointment with Dr. Whale go today?

Emma couldn’t find an emotion to settle on.  She went from furious to elated to concerned and back again with each second that passed.

Getting back to her room, Emma curled up in the chair beside the window and stared out blankly at the sky trying to make sense of what she just found out and what was going on.  Whispering to no one, in a tired voice, Emma said sadly.

“Dammit, Regina.  Why haven’t you told me?  I don’t want you to do this without me.”

* * *

 

_Emma had been shocked to see Granny in a hospital, volunteer uniform in the few days following the shooting. For as long as Emma had known Ruby, she just assumed the restaurant took a pretty big chunk of time to run and Granny had little time for anything else.  As was usually the case with Granny, she had proved that theory wrong._

_“Granny, what are you doing here?” asked Emma groggily as she awoke one day from a nap._

_“You don’t think I am going to spend my entire day living in that kitchen do you?”_

_Emma looked at her a bit confused._

_“I volunteer here, so I can take care of dummies like you that can’t seem to keep themselves out of trouble”._

_Granny had razor sharp wit and sarcasm and a spitfire personality that she felt compelled to share with everyone.  She could be a handful when she wanted to be, but Emma appreciated the fact that Granny was simply a straight shooter that didn’t have time for games when something needed to be said.  Her advice was normally sage and on target, and Emma respected her opinion.  Despite her other duties at the hospital, Granny seemed to find a lot of time and excuses to visit Emma’s room in the first few weeks of her stay.  Emma would never be so bold as to say something about the frequency of the visits, but she suspected that she had given Granny quite a scare and this was Granny’s way of making sure everything was returning to normal._

_Emma was simply offered thanks for the company and conversations.  If nothing else, it helped to pass the time for both in between rounds or therapy sessions_.

* * *

 

Emma was still looking out the window, lost in her thoughts, when Granny hobbled in.

“Well, hey there, girl.  How did therapy go today?”

Emma shook herself away from her thoughts and turned her face from the window towards Granny, hopeful that her forced smile and voice could mask the uncertainty, confusion and pain she was feeling in her heart right that instant.

“It was OK,” was about all Emma could croak out before her mind and focus drifted back towards the window and she was lost back in the same thoughts and questions that had been spinning there since she left the clinic.

“And how about that beautiful wife of yours, how is she?”

“OK.  I guess,” said Emma with a shrug and a sigh, not even bothering to turn around to face Granny.

“Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, Bird Girl,” said Granny matter-of-factly as she shook her head at Emma, “you don’t get to do that to Granny.”

Emma’s head snapped away from the window, eyes wide, eyebrows raised, mouth open in surprise and annoyance.

“B-b-bird girl?  What is that about?”

“THAT was an attention grabber.  And now that I have your attention, you are going to listen to me, Emma Swan.  I have raised too many children and grandchildren, seen too many patients and families come through here not to recognize the look of someone that is hiding something.  And you may think that you cover your tracks well, kiddo, but your face and your eyes give you away.  You are an open book and that book says something is wrong.”

“I seriously doubt I am like an open book, Granny.”

“Everyone is a book; some different than others.  Take your wife for example.  She’s kinda like War and Peace, complicated and hard to read, but definitely worth the investment.  You, well, you are more like Green Eggs and Ham.  Simple, but entertaining.”

“I am not even sure how to respond to that.”

“You don’t respond.  You were supposed to be listening then.  NOW, it’s your turn to talk and I expect you to start spilling…..everything,” the glare thrown by Granny was no-nonsense and definitive.

Knowing it was futile to resist, Emma muttered a quiet ‘OK’ before recounting her walk to the fertility clinic and the information she gathered from the nurse.

“What I just don’t understand is why she hasn’t told me yet, Granny?  Why is she keeping this from me?  I know she is picking up shifts in trauma just to remain close to me each day.  I know that has to be wearing her down.  She sleeps here in the reclining chair each night or between shifts.  I know that can’t be comfortable for her and, because of that, I know she can’t be getting enough sleep for her and the baby.  I am not even sure how well she is eating.  I mean, we have eaten at the cafeteria a few times, but mostly I don’t see her eating at all, unless she takes a few bites of something off my tray and even then, I can’t imagine it is giving them both what they need.  Just this morning, she told me that she thought she was coming down with something.  God, I hope she mentioned that to the doctor today.  I would have mentioned it, if she had thought to tell me that she was going.”

By this point, Emma was grabbing handfuls of hair and hobbling about the room as best as she could to mimic pacing.

“EMMA!  Sit down,” commanded Granny.

Emma limped back over to the chair and sat, but continued to bounce her knee and chew her lip wondering what else she wasn’t considering about the health of her wife and baby.  She looked sheepishly at Granny, something akin to desperation in her eyes.  Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, Granny spoke,

“Emma, I am going to go out on a limb here and say I think I may know what’s going on and why she neglected to tell you.”

Emma’s expression looked hopeful and she leaned in to concentrate on Granny’s next words,

“Emma Swan, you’re a certifiable shit show.”

This was definitely not what Emma expected and her mouth gaped open and closed like a fish as she searched for what to say next.  Granny held up a hand to save her the effort.

“I mean, look at you.  You have known about this all of a half hour, tops, and already you have gone all ‘Mamma Bear’ on both of them, forgotten about your own condition, forgotten about your therapy.  I am sure she appreciates the protectiveness and concern that you are going to have for her and the baby, but she also knows that you need to focus on your own recovery, which isn’t going to happen if you are going bat shit crazy about whether she and the baby are eating enough greens or some such nonsense.”

“Emma,” Granny continued strongly, “your wife is strong; she isn’t stupid.  She knows her limits and, believe me, she is going to do everything in her power to keep that baby safe.  She already loves that baby with everything she is.  That love started the minute she found out about him, or her, but she loves you too and she knows that, in the not too distant future, she is going to need you more than she ever has in her life and she has to have you at 100%.  She can’t have that, if you aren’t concentrating on you and your therapy right now.  Does that make sense, Emma?”

“I guess,” said Emma dejectedly.

“And don’t you go telling her that you know either now.  You let her come to you and tell you when SHE is ready.  She’ll know when it’s right to say and when she does tell you, then you can play ‘Mamma Bear’ all you want.  That’s her way of giving you permission to take the lead for a while.  And if I find out you spilled the beans beforehand, well, let’s just say I got ways of making sure that mistake doesn’t happen again.”

Granny followed up the message with a stern look that Emma took with a gulp and a pale face.

“Do I get follow up questions?” asked Emma meekly.

“If you must.”

“Any chance you can help me get a laptop or an iPad or something?”

“First, I don’t even know what the hell that ‘i-thingy’ is, so you are barking up the wrong tree there.  Second, you can’t have one on the ward and, third, what do you need one for anyways?”

“If I am not allowed to talk to her about it, yet, I wanted to at least do some research.  I don’t even know what the first appointment was about or what he told her or what they would have talked about.  She’s pregnant and I am clueless.  I figured I could Google.”

“You can’t Google this shit, Emma.  But I may be able to help.  What’s the other question?”

“What am I supposed to do between now and when she tells me?”

“Keep your mouth shut and start praying for a boy.  After what I seen today, I don’t think you can handle a girl.  You’ve seen my Ruby.  More piercings than an archery target.  Lord help me; that’s a handful and you damn straight ain’t ready for that!”

* * *

 

It was much later that evening when Regina was off shift and got back up to Emma’s room.  The ‘mood lights’ (as Emma called them) were already in effect, dimmed just enough for the patients to sleep comfortably, but high enough for the staff to monitor throughout the evening.  As usual, Regina pulled Emma’s chart to read the daily progress.  She closed her eyes several times during the course of the reading to refocus her vision and her mind.  She was exhausted between work, Emma’s care and her increasing bouts of morning sickness that seemed to crop up any time of day, including morning.

_Hit in left forehead with medicine ball.  Filed injury report and provided ice pack for bruising.  Patient claims ‘wild pitch’, therapist claims ‘lack of attention’._

Regina covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a chuckle and walked to the side of the bed to watch Emma sleep.  Her golden hair was spread on the pillow and her eyes were closed.  Her chest rose and fell at regular, slow intervals and Regina could tell that she was sleeping peacefully and soundly.  Regina brushed a few strands of stray hair away from her face and traced a finger over the place where the medicine ball hit.  Leaning over, she placed a gentle kiss on the same spot, whispering,

“Suenos con los angeles,” before walking over to adjust the reclining chair in the corner so she could settle in for at least a few hours’ sleep.

As Regina’s eyes started to close, she gently rubbed circles on her tummy and whispered in the dark, “You sleep with the angels too, mijo.”

From her bed, Emma smiled as she heard Regina whisper to their baby.  She waited about 15 minutes more before moving from the bed and pulling her blanket with her.  Approaching the chair, Emma could hear Regina’s deep breaths.  She had heard the sound hundreds of times before and knew that Regina was already sound asleep.  Tucking the blanket gently around her, Emma leaned to kiss her temple before tip-toeing back to her own hospital bed and falling back to sleep.

* * *

 

“EMMA!  Get your ass out of bed, girl!” bellowed Granny as soon as the door closed behind her.

Emma slowly opened her eyes at the intrusion and struggled to focus.  What time was it?  Where was she?  It took only a moment for the realization to hit her that she was still in the hospital and for the events of the previous day to come flooding back to her.  Looking over at the chair, she could see that Regina must have left already, her blanket folded neatly in the seat with the pillow laid atop ready for her next arrival.

“Dammit, Granny! What time is it?” Emma managed to croak out.

“It’s half past ‘too damn late o’clock’ and you have a visitor.  I brought you Google,” replied Granny, thumbing her finger at something beside her.

Emma looked at Granny for a moment in confusion before she realized that she had, indeed, brought, not something, but someone, with her.

The woman was in her 60’s and slight.  She wore her longer hair in a loose bun to keep it out of her face and out of her way as she worked.  She wore scrubs that consisted of pink pants and a white top interspersed with teddy bears, pink blocks and bottles.  In her hand, she held some pieces of paper.  She was smiling warmly at Emma.

“Hi,” said Emma groggily as she swung her legs over the side of the bed into a sitting position and ran her hands through her tangled mess of hair.  “Sorry, I must look like a disaster.  I just got up.”

“So we can see,” responded Granny with more than a hint of sarcasm in her voice, “It’s 8AM right now and you have one hour before you have to be in therapy.  This is my friend Cora.  She knows everything you told me yesterday.  She works in Obstetrics.  She came to talk to you and answer your questions, since you are generally clueless or, at least, that’s what you said yesterday.”

Emma huffed and scowled her face at Granny, eliciting a chuckle from both women.

“I am not THAT clueless.  And it’s nice to know you can keep a secret.”

“I can keep secrets when I need to, but right now, you need to get some things straight in your head. By the way, your breath stinks.  I can smell it from here.  Go brush your teeth and then sit down and talk to Cora for a bit.  I need to run some files around to the clinics.  I will be back in a bit.”

Emma looked down sheepishly and then eased from the bed and hobbled to the bath.  It took about 5 minutes to brush her teeth, run a brush through her hair and pull on her standard uniform (and the only one that accommodated her injuries reasonably well) of sweat shorts, tank and hoodie.  She emerged from the bathroom looking at least slightly more presentable than when she went in.

When Emma emerged, Cora was sitting in one of two chairs near the window.  Her back was straight and her legs crossed at the ankles.  She was organizing a few of the papers she had brought with her.  Emma limped over to the sitting area and tentatively reached out her hand.

“Thanks for coming to talk to me.  It sounds like Granny filled you in on what’s going on?

Cora looked up at Emma and smiled warmly.  Taking her hand, she motioned for Emma to sit in the other chair and helped her as he settled in.

“Yes, dear, she did.  Sounds like you and your wife have received a lot of news, good and bad, all at the same time.”

“Yeah, the best news is the one I missed out on, though,” sighed Emma as she trailed off sadly.

Cora looked at Emma sympathetically and simply nodded her head in understanding.  She reached a hand out and laid it atop Emma’s.  Her touch was warm and soft.

“You’re going to have plenty of time to catch up, dear.  Don’t you worry.”

 “Cora, I am not really sure where to even start or what to ask.  I’ve never done this before.”

“Well, you’re in luck then, because I have.  More times than you can count.  And it just so happens that I was assisting the doctor during your wife’s appointment yesterday.”

Emma’s eyes went wide and her mouth fell open.  Emma couldn’t believe her luck.  The next best thing to Emma being there was being face to face with someone else that was there.  Emma was seriously considering kissing Granny right now.

About a thousand questions came to mind at once but the most important two spilled out first, “Is Regina OK?  Is the baby OK?”

“Well, based on all of the test and the exam results, the doctor gave both of them a clean bill of health.  She can keep her current schedule and activity level as long as it doesn’t wear her down too much and she gets enough rest.”

Emma closed her eyes and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.  It was like the weight of a thousand pounds had been lifted from her shoulders.

“She mentioned she might be coming down with something yesterday.  Did she mention that during the appointment?  Did the doctor give her something in case she is getting a cold?”

“As a matter of fact, she did mention not feeling well, but she doesn’t have a cold, dear.  Your wife has been struggling a bit with morning sickness.”

“Oh,” sighed Emma feeling like she had once again failed Regina.  She wondered how many times her wife had to endure morning sickness already without Emma being there to hold her hair, rub her back or soothe away the aftermaths.

Cora went on to talk to Emma for another 45 minutes about the details of Regina’s visit.  The appointment had lasted about one hour and included everything from a discussion of family history to a complete physical to a gynecological exam to blood work.  The latter was usually done to determine the blood type and Rh of the mother, but since that information was already on file due to Regina’s work at the hospital, they modified the test slightly to check that all indicators were within normal limits.  In addition, they had talked about nutrition and eating habits during pregnancy.  Emma found out that Regina left with a prescription for pre-natal vitamins that made her feel much better because Emma felt that Regina’s eating habits were close to non-existent, since Emma had been in the hospital.

With about ten minutes to go before her physical therapy appointment, Cora wrapped up the incredibly informative session.

“Do you have any other questions, dear?”

Emma was wringing her hands in her lap and her eyes darted back and forth between her lap and Cora’s eyes as if trying to determine whether to ask the next question or not.  Cora smiled gently at Emma as if realizing her dilemma and spoke again,

“It’s OK, dear.   You can ask whatever you need to.”

Emma took a deep breath and in a meek voice put her question out there.

“Well, um, I was just wondering if she has any, you know, um, restrictions?”

The question was mumbled through a chewed lip as Emma was simultaneously turning beet red and rubbing the back of her neck.

“Are you referring to the bedroom, dear?”

Emma nodded quickly, wishing in that instant that she could just crawl under the table and die.

“No, dear.  Those restrictions come much, much later.  And, even then, it’s only a few things, not celibacy.  The doctor will let you know when or if that time arrives.  Until then, feel free to enjoy each other’s company, ” Cora gave Emma a sly wink that most definitely caught her off guard.

A tap sounded on the door and Emma’s physical therapist popped his head in.

“Ready to go?”

“Yep.  Just give me a minute?”

“Sure, I will be down at the nurses’ station waiting.”

Both Cora and Emma stood, since it seemed that their time had drawn to a close.  Cora reached out her hands and took Emma’s in her own.

“Emma, I know this has been a lot of information to take in and this can be an incredibly scary transition for both of you, but it is a wonderful experience and I hope you enjoy every moment of it together.  Your wife is a wonderful woman, but I could tell something was missing yesterday and I think that something was you.  Work hard and get better.  She needs you more than ever.”

Emma nodded slowly as the words sank in, “Thank you, Cora.  Thank you for everything.”

“You are very welcome my dear.  I am leaving you with some information in case you forget anything we talked about.  But don’t hesitate to find me, or ask Granny, if you need me.”

“I will.”

As Cora exited the room, Emma was already gathering the papers, pushing them into the pack that she was taking with her to therapy and formulating a plan.


	10. We Both Do

**May, 2015**

**_Picture: Emma lies on the floor of the therapy room as a panicked, physical therapist waves an ammonia capsule under her nose.  A medicine ball lies suspiciously close to her head._ **

Emma hobbled out the door and down the hall to the nurses’ station where her therapist, David, was waiting with a smile.

“Hey there, Emma.  Ready to go?”

“Can we talk for a few minutes before we get started?”

Emma’s tone and face was serious and David wanted to make sure they were still in a good place with each other, especially after yesterday’s incident with the medicine ball.

“Sure, let’s grab one of the empty therapy rooms over here.”

As soon as the door closed behind them, Emma started,

“Look, David, I just found out that my wife is pregnant.  I can’t be there for her as long as I can’t walk and don’t have full use of my arm.  I need you to start pushing me, hard, and I need you to help me figure out what I can do on my own, when we aren’t together, to get back into the shape I was before.  My wife needs me and I can’t let her down.  I have been doing too much of that lately.”

David responded with a broad smile and crossed his arms over his front.

“Well, first of all, congratulations, Emma!  This is incredibly exciting news!  My wife, Mary Margaret and I just found out that we are expecting too!”

“Your wife’s name is Mary Margaret?  What is she, a nun?  Nevermind.  Since you two are having a baby, I pretty much answered my own question there.  Yeah, well, my wife hasn’t exactly told me yet about the baby.  I found out accidentally and I can’t let her know that I know.  The whole situation is really complicated and hard to follow.  Frankly, I am not sure I get the whole damn thing myself.  Just suffice it to say that I need your help.  Do you think you can do that for me?”

“Of course!”

“Oh yeah, one other thing, my wife reads my chart every day and night.  You need to keep my progress reports subtle so she doesn’t suspect that I got some sort of new-found ambition or something.  She’ll get really suspicious if all of a sudden I have gone all serious about my therapy.  If she finds out that I know about the baby and Granny suspects that I did something that tipped her off, I may not be long for this earth, if you get my drift.”

Just to make sure her point was heard, Emma jabbed her first and middle fingers into David’ chest as she said the next sentence, “And don’t think I won’t take you with me!”

David gulped a bit with the last statement before grinning again.

“I think we can figure something out for the charts.  We Dads have to stick together.”

Emma just rolled her eyes and shook her head.  

“I am not even going there with you right now.”

Opening the door, David grinned as he swept his hand out and bowed, “After you….”

* * *

 

For the next two hours, David and Emma worked together in the common, therapy room on her right leg and left shoulder.  Medicine balls were passed, rolled or thrown over a hundred times, thankfully without incident.  Tendons and muscles that hadn’t been used in two weeks were stretched to their limits and beyond. 

“Come on, Emma,” shouted David, “you can hold this, just 20 more seconds!”

Emma’s face was red and tears were running down her cheeks.  A sheen of sweat covered her chest and the front of her tank was wet from the exertion over the past two hours.  Strands of hair clung to her forehead, neck and cheeks and her whole body shook as she fought to keep herself balanced on her right leg.  She blew ragged, hard breaths through gritted teeth.

“And 3….2….1….”

“Ugggghhhhhh,” screamed Emma as she placed her left foot on the ground and took the burden off her right leg.  She hopped a few times on her left foot trying to maintain her balance and felt herself starting to fall.  In an instant, David was at her side supporting her and she leaned her weight into him.  Her head was hung, but he could feel her shoulders heaving and he realized quickly that she was crying.  He gave her a few moments to collect herself before continuing.

“I think we have done enough therapy for the day.  How about we move over to the equipment room and try a few things with your good arm and leg?”

Emma nodded her head but kept it hung as she pushed her weight off David.  Bringing her hands to her eyes and cheeks, she wiped away the tears that were there, before looking up directly at David, pain in her eyes replaced by steely determination.

“Let’s go.”

David walked Emma through all of the equipment and suggested several exercises for her uninjured arm and leg that could fill her ‘off hours’.  Emma tried a few of the machines and found the exercises to be somewhat less painful than working her injured leg and shoulder.  Even so, she could still feel the strain of muscles that had been neglected for two weeks already.

_I promise I will never complain about going to the gym or running seven miles a day again_ , thought Emma as she struggled with even the most basic coordination exercises and low weight reps.

She pushed herself for an hour more before David declared the session finished and very successful.  Emma collected her things and limped over to the recreation room that was thankfully devoid of people.  Sitting on the sofa, she wanted to take a few minutes to cool down, collect her thoughts and mentally prepare for what was likely going to be two, grueling weeks ahead.  Remembering the papers in her bag, she pulled out the pamphlets and started to read.  She was only a few minutes in before her eyes started to feel heavy and she could tell that the morning was catching up to her fast.  Stuffing everything back in her bag, she struggled from the couch and limped slowly back to her room where she threw her bag in the closet and then lay down on the bed, too exhausted to wait for the nurse to cut bandages for a shower or to even get fully under the covers. 

_Later_ , Emma thought as she drifted off, body aching, into a fitful sleep.

* * *

 

It was around 6:30PM when Regina made it back up to the rehab center.  She was finally off-shift and decided to dress in her jeans and a slim-fitting, v-neck, long sleeve shirt.  She wasn’t sure how much longer she would have that luxury of wearing regular clothes, so she decided to take advantage of it for as long as she could.  She felt better today than she had yesterday, only having excused herself between patients one time at the start of shift to deal with her morning sickness.  Despite being pregnant, she had lost around 10lbs from her already slender frame just from expelling the contents of her stomach 2-3 times a day.  Regina had mentioned her concerns about the weight loss during yesterday’s appointment, but the doctor didn’t see this as much cause for alarm and stated that it was quite common during the first trimester.  Not wanting to take any chances, Regina tried to eat small snacks at regular intervals during the day.  She found it made her less nauseated and helped her energy levels.  She was going to need that in case Emma decided to go another round about therapy today. 

They hadn’t really talked since yesterday morning, when Regina told Emma that she was not leaving rehab and stormed out of the room.  It wasn’t the way Regina had wanted to leave things, but sometimes walking away when Emma’s heels were dug in was the best and only option.  Emma could be so damn stubborn sometimes, just like a child.

When Regina entered Emma’s room, the evening low-lights were already in effect.  Emma lay on her stomach, face toward the door in her sweat shorts, tank and hoodie, half in and half out of the covers.  Her mouth was partially open and she was snoring lightly.

A dinner tray lay untouched on a cart by the bed, unusual for Emma since she seemed to always be hungry and ate like a dump truck.  Regina pulled her chart and checked the daily progress report.

_Patient attitude and cooperation improved from yesterday.  No major injuries or incidents to report. Patient struggles with coordination, not entirely certain this is due to injury.  Sense is that some part is general clumsiness.  Three hour session completed successfully._

Additional entries had been made in the chart.

_Lunch delivered: 12:30PM.  Patient asleep.  Due to position, bandage change delayed until awake._

_Patient asleep at 6PM.  Lunch uneaten.  Dinner delivered.  No bandage change.  Patient sleep position unchanged._

_She’s exhausted from therapy_ , thought Regina as she rolled the physician’s stool to the head of the bed to be closer to Emma’s face, a _nd I am exhausted from pregnancy.  What a pair we make._

Leaning in closer, Regina called out in a quiet, sing-songy voice, “Em-ma”.

After saying her name, Regina used her index finger to make two feather-light strokes on the end of Emma’s nose.  She didn’t respond at all.

Leaning in closer, Regina tried again, this time, a bit louder but in the same sing-songy voice, “Em-ma Swan-Mills”.  Again, she made two strokes on the end of Emma’s nose.  This time, she was rewarded with a twitch of Emma’s nose, followed quickly by more light snores.  Regina grinned slightly and tickled Emma’s nose again with her index finger.  Eventually, Emma nuzzled her face in her pillow to alleviate the tickling before returning to her previous position.

Regina reached up one more time to touch the end of Emma’s nose when her hand was caught by Emma’s.  Threading her fingers with Regina’s, Emma opened her green eyes and looked into the beautiful brown eyes and smiling face of her wife.

_God, you have no idea how beautiful you are_ , thought Emma.

“There you are,” said Regina in a hushed whisper as she used her other hand to brush the hair from Emma’s face.

“What time is it, Regina?” asked Emma groggily.

“Almost 7PM, sweetheart.  I think you fell asleep after therapy and are just now waking up.”

Groaning, Emma released Regina’s hand to help herself roll over and sit up.  Her stomach growled angrily and she remembered that she hadn’t eaten at all that day.  She looked at the dinner tray and sighed at the thought of having to eat the hospital food again this evening.

“Emma, I wanted to make amends for yelling at you yesterday morning, so I brought you a treat.”

Reaching down into her bag on the floor, Regina extracted a white bag that was saturated with grease.

_GREASE!!_ Thought Emma, o _nly incredible, tasty, unhealthy, awesome things are contained in greasy bags!  This is going to be SO WORTH getting yelled at!  I can already feel it!  And smell it….YAY, me!_

Regina’s next words were merely a confirmation of what Emma already knew.

“One half-pound, double cheeseburger with bacon and a large order of fries.  From the looks of my bag, they provided extra grease free of charge, so you should be ecstatic.  Oh, and if anyone finds out about this, I will tell them that you snuck out and got it yourself,” warned Regina with a grin as she handed over the bag.  Reaching back down, Regina also pulled out a large bottle of ketchup from her bag to go with the fries, knowing it was Emma’s condiment of choice.

“Are you kidding me!?!?!?  This is AWESOME, Regina.  I SO needed this today,” exclaimed Emma as she began unwrapping the monstrously huge, unhealthy burger while sporting a huge grin.  Spilling a load of fries on top of the open wrapper, Emma proceeded to create a mountain of ketchup in one of the corners for dipping

Taking a huge bite of burger, Emma moaned loudly and closed her eyes.  Best. Burger. Ever.

Regina rolled her eyes and grinned wondering how anyone could be this enamored with grease before reaching down and pulling her own dinner from the bag.

“You’re going to eat with me tonight?” smiled Emma.

“I thought it might be interesting to watch someone’s arteries actually clog before my very eyes, so, yes,” replied Regina sarcastically.

Emma alternated between mouthfuls of burger and fries laden with ketchup as she watched her wife open her food containers.  Regina’s dinner was a lot healthier than Emma’s, but definitely different than Emma was used to seeing her eat.  Regina’s normal, Caesar salad was replaced with a bed of spinach topped with orange slices, sunflower seeds, grilled chicken, and an assortment of other vegetables.  Emma couldn’t help but smile, knowing the reasoning behind the change in selection.  Luckily, she could mask her grin under the guise of the burger and fries that she was wolfing down with abandon.

After they had finished their meals and the remnants were placed in the waste bin, Regina was the first to speak and she did it softly and tentatively, not wanting to dredge up another fight with Emma,

“So therapy went well today?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Emma was heartbroken that Regina felt like she had done something so wrong that she had to tread lightly.  Just as quietly as before, Regina continued.

“Well, according to your chart, it looks like you made some good progress.  I am proud of you, Emma”

Reaching over, Emma took one of Regina’s hands.  As she did, Regina’s eyes met her own.  Emma could tell Regina was troubled and searching for something safe to say.  She rubbed soothing circles with her thumb over Regina’s knuckles.

“Regina, look, I’m sorry I upset you yesterday.  I wasn’t trying to get in a fight or make you angry.  It’s just that, for the past two weeks, I haven’t felt like I can do anything.  I can’t walk down a hall without a crutch.  I can’t even lift my arm further than shoulder high.  Things that I could do easily a few weeks ago, I can now only hope to do again.  Christ, I can barely get in and out of a shower on my own.”

Regina opened her mouth to say something, but Emma held up her other hand to stop her.

“Please, just let me finish.”

Regina nodded gently for Emma to continue.  She knew that Emma had a hard time opening up about things and she wanted Emma to say what she needed to say before her walls went back up.

“My entire life, I have tried not to depend on others, for anything.  I don’t know if I am going to get any better than I am today, and I don’t want to be your burden, Regina.  I should be taking care of you.  Instead, you spend every night here sleeping in an uncomfortable chair, working double-shifts just to be close or driving back and forth between here and home.  Meanwhile, I struggle to do the simplest, fucking things.  Yesterday, I just wanted to run away.  I convinced myself that if I wasn’t here in a hospital, I could just pretend that this never happened to me, to us.  But it IS happening and that scares the hell out of me, Regina.  I may never again be the same person you married.”

Emma’s eyes were brimming with tears as she looked pleadingly at her wife.  Almost in a whisper, she added.

“I just want to be the person I was before the accident.  I want to be able to take care of you, Regina.”

Rising from her stool, Regina sat down on the edge of the bed.  Entwining her fingers with Emma’s, she reached up her other hand to cup Emma’s cheek.  Slowly, she brushed her thumb over Emma’s lips before starting to speak.

“Emma, when I came into the Trauma room two weeks ago and saw you lying on that bed, my entire world stopped.  I was terrified, not because I thought you would never again be the person I married, but because I thought I might never be with you again, at all.  I am here every day, Emma, because I want to spend every minute I can with you, whether we are sleeping or awake.  I want to be able to reach out and touch you and know that you are still here with me.”

Regina continued to look into Emma’s eyes, but tears were falling freely down her cheeks.

“Emma, I don’t care if I have to take care of you every day for the rest of my life.  I will sleep on a chair every night if I have to.  I will gladly help you in and out of the shower.  I will be your arms and legs if you need me to be.  And I won’t do it out of some sense of obligation or pity, but because I love you and because I just want to be with you.  I came too close to losing you, Emma, and I don’t want to take a single minute that we have together for granted.  You’re still the same strong, independent, frustrating, protective, loving, beautiful woman that I married, Emma, and I need that woman now more than ever.”

Dropping her hand from Emma’s cheek, Regina looked down and laid her hand on her tummy before looking back up at Emma, whispering,

“We both do.”

Emma’s eyes blew wide and her mouth fell open.  Even though she already knew about the baby, she wasn’t expecting Regina to tell her this evening; not this way.  But hearing the words coming from Regina’s own mouth was enough to take her breath away.  It was as if Emma was hearing the news for the first time, and it was wonderful.  In that moment, Regina looked gorgeous, vulnerable, strong, scared and confident.  It was an incredible juxtaposition of everything that was beautiful about her wife….of everything that Emma had fallen in love with.

Emma sat up and cupped Regina’s face in her hands.  She touched her forehead to Regina’s and looked into her eyes.  Tears were flowing down Emma’s cheeks but her smile was huge.  Emma couldn’t help laughing because she thought her heart was going to burst with happiness.

“Regina, you’re….you’re pregnant?”

Regina nodded her head against Emma’s and smiled as a sob of incredible joy spilled from her lips.  She couldn’t have anticipated how incredible it would be to share this news with Emma.  She had felt so alone for the last two weeks and, now, she felt like she could finally breathe again.

Covering her mouth with both hands, Regina continued to sit on the bed and cry tears of joy, joy for a baby to come and joy for Emma being there to share it with her.

Emma wrapped her arms around Regina and pulled her close.  Regina laid her head on Emma’s shoulder enjoying the comfort and safety it offered.  Resting her cheek atop Regina’s head, Emma breathed in the scent of lavender and apples as she closed her eyes and relished this incredible moment.

Emma nuzzled her nose and lips into Regina’s hair and kissed her head before whispering,

“I think you are going to make an incredible Mom, Regina.  Thank you for letting me take this journey with you.  I promise I am going to take care of both of you.  But….I think you are going to have to sit up now because my whole body hurts from therapy and I don’t think I can hold us both for much longer….”

Regina laughed softly as she sat up and wiped some of the tears from her face with her hands.  Emma was still smiling as she collapsed back on the bed with a groan. 

“In two weeks, I won’t have to worry about lifting my arm.  I think it will have fallen off.  You may just have to duct tape the baby to me so I can carry it.  Damn, I am sore,” groaned Emma.

“Well, you are in luck.  I happen to know a very good doctor that can help with your predicament.  Give me a few minutes.  I will be back.”

Regina slipped into the bathroom and dried her eyes before collecting a few things in a bag and opening the door.  After about 15 minutes she returned.

Emma was lying on her back in bed, arm covering her eyes.  She was still grinning thinking about the news she had been delivered just a few minutes ago.  Sitting back down on the edge of the bed, Regina leaned forward and brushed her nose against Emma’s playfully.  When she spoke, their lips touched gently.

“Emma, do you think you can walk just a little bit more for me today?”

Putting her arm down, Emma looked quizzically into Regina’s eyes.

“I think so.”

“Good,” said Regina with a mischievous smile, “then follow me….”

* * *

 

Regina walked down the hall slowly so not to rush Emma.  She stayed close enough to give quick assistance, but far enough not to be a crutch.  Emma struggled a bit, but she was making it on her own.  She would eventually get back to her pre-accident form; Regina just hoped that both she and Emma would have the patience to get through the process together.

As they walked, Emma threw glances over at Regina.  She was walking slowly to accommodate Emma’s pace and kept her eyes trained on the floor.  A small smile played on her lips and her arms were hugged over her tummy protectively.  Strands of hair fell forward occasionally covering the side of her face which she brushed back behind her ear before re-crossing her arms over herself.  She looked beautiful

As they approached the nurses’ station, Emma noticed that Granny was at the nurses’ station.  Granny seemed to be everywhere, all the time.  Granny shot Emma a knowing glance that told her that she was off the hook about keeping the secret.

_How the hell does she know this shit? At least she can’t kill me for spilling the beans accidentally_ , thought Emma.  She wondered how many others before her may not have been so lucky.

“Dr. Mills, everything is ready in Room 1.”

Regina offered Granny a smile which was greeted with a typical, serious nod. 

“Don’t you worry, either.  There’s nothing else scheduled in those rooms for the rest of the night.  Take as long as you need.”

Stepping behind the station, Regina used her key card to open a door that Emma hadn’t taken much notice of previously.  Emma had assumed it was simply another therapy room, but, instead, it led to a small corridor with two doors, one to the right and one to the left. Emma couldn’t help but wonder what was behind the doors and she wasn’t going to have to wait long to find out.

Using her key card again, Regina opened Room 1 and motioned for Emma to step inside.  Emma was excited when she saw what the room contained.  Aside from the standard exam chair in one corner, the room also contained a multi-jet shower replete with inside and outside grab bars that was big enough to accommodate a wheelchair and a sauna that was big enough for a reasonably tall person to lay or sit comfortably.  A stainless steel, state-of-the-art, hydrotherapy, whirlpool tub sat in the middle of the room.  Emma almost groaned as she thought about how awesome this was going to feel on her sore muscles.  Piles of soft towels lay in neat pyramids at various locations about the room.  Looking more closely, Emma could see that a few of her own things had been brought in as well – shampoo, conditioner, body wash all lay on a teak bench outside the entrance to the shower alongside a fluffy, black robe.  Emma’s soft, well-loved sweat pants, a clean tank and her Portland University Medical School hoodie were hanging on pegs near the door.

“Emma, I need to take off your bandages,” said Regina softly.  Emma had been so busy taking in the items in the room that she hadn’t even noticed that Regina had moved over to the exam chair and was sitting on a stool organizing a few items on a tray.  Catching her eye, Regina patted the seat gently.

Luckily, the seat was low enough that Emma could slide on with relative ease.  Using her hands, she lifted her right leg so her foot was on the footrest.  It was raised high enough that her upper leg was lifted off the seat of the chair providing full access to the bandage around her thigh.

Grabbing a pair of surgical scissors, Regina easily cut through the bandages along the outside of Emma’s leg, careful to avoid disturbing the pads covering the actual wound.  When the cut was complete, Regina simply pulled the ends apart and removed everything that had previously encircled Emma’s thigh.  Only the pads remained intact.

Regina slid a small towel under Emma’s leg before grabbing a saline wash bottle from the tray.

“This is going to be a cold, but it will help the pad release.”

Saturating the pad quickly, Regina heard Emma gasp as the cold saline soaked the material and ran down both sides of her leg, collecting in the towel.  Regina started lifting the edge of the pad slowly, making sure nothing was pulling on skin or stitches.  When she met any resistance, she would add more saline until the material pulled away easily.  She could tell that Emma was holding her breath in anticipation of pain that wasn’t coming.

As soon as the pad was removed, Emma exhaled heavily and Regina sensed that her whole body relaxed.  She could hear the relief and awe in Emma’s voice.

“That was amazing, Regina!  I didn’t feel a thing!” said Emma excitedly.

“Glad to see that countless years of studying, clinicals, residencies and student loans have finally paid off,” teased Regina.

She grinned and winked at Emma before returning to her work, inspecting the wound and blotting away the remaining saline with a soft towel.  The majority of bruising had faded into light greens and yellows and the swelling had reduced.  The few stitches that closed the entry wound looked clean with only a pink tinge to the slight scarring that was forming underneath.  The majority of the damage had been sustained by the muscle underneath and this is what Emma was trying to rebuild with therapy.

Gently, Regina trailed her fingers down Emma’s thigh on either side of her wound.  Leaning down, she placed light kisses all around the stitched area.  Emma sighed and tangled her fingers in Regina’s soft hair, realizing just how much she missed her wife’s touch.  It didn’t take long before Emma was feeling the first hints of her arousal as a blush crept up her chest and cheeks and wetness began to pool between her thighs.  Regina grinned against Emma’s thigh as she started to smell the heady scent of her wife’s arousal.  Regina placed her palm on the inside of Emma’s thigh, her fingers skirting under the hem of her shorts.  She rubbed gentle circles with her thumb to the right of the stitches as she looked for a packet on the tray.  Finding what she needed, Regina opened the envelope and extracted a large, clear bandage with a central pad.

“This is a heavy-duty, waterproof pad that will protect your stitches while you shower and soak.”

Carefully, she positioned the bandage and sealed the edges tightly around Emma’s wound.

“Now, I need to do the same for your shoulder.”

Emma unzipped her hoodie and allowed it to slide down her arms so it pooled on the seat behind her.  She had been living in hoodies and tanks for most of the last two weeks.    A significant amount of cross-body wrapping and the incessant need for dressing changes allowed her to wear little else, including a bra.  The hoodies allowed her to, at least, feel less self-conscious and conspicuous.

Looking up, she could see that Regina was looking at her.  More specifically, Regina was looking at her tank.  The cold of the room, the cold of the saline and the arousal that had started building from watching Regina kiss her thigh had caused her nipples and surrounding skin to harden considerably.   The darker pink skin strained against the ribbed fabric and was partially visible beneath.

Regina chewed her bottom lip as she continued to stare.  Emma could see that her wife’s eyes were darkening as her own arousal was starting to build.  Seeing the reaction she was creating, Emma reached across with her good hand and pulled the hem of her tank up slightly revealing the contours of her stomach.  She hesitated for a moment before pulling the tank up and over her head and down her arms in one deft motion.  Regina moaned slightly as she took in her wife’s beautiful body.  Injuries aside, two weeks in the hospital hadn’t affected Emma that much.  Regina drank in her wife’s beautiful and tautly muscled torso, broad strong shoulders and well defined arms.  Her small, firm breasts were, indeed, tipped with the same hardened pink nipples that had been pressed tightly against fabric just moments before.

Regina took a few deep breaths as she tried to regain her focus.  This was neither the time nor the place to consider indulging in her growing desire for her wife.  At the same time, Granny had said that the room wasn’t being used again till morning.  She was snapped from her thoughts by the sound of Emma’s voice.

“Where did you go, baby?”

Regina looked into Emma’s eyes as a blush broke out over her chest and cheeks.

“I-I’m sorry.  I got distracted.”

Looking down at her own chest briefly, Emma looked at her wife with a sexy smile.  Sliding her hand behind Regina’s neck and into her hair, she pulled their faces close.  Their lips brushed softly as Emma asked for more,

“And what might be distracting you tonight, my love?”

Capturing Regina’s lower lip with both of her own, Emma sucked gently, swiping her tongue back and forth along its length.  Drawing back, she released Regina’s lip with a pop before leaning forward again to capture both of her wife’s lips fully.  This time, her tongue flicked quickly, begging for entrance that was granted immediately.  Emma’s tongue explored Regina’s mouth eagerly, entwining with her wife’s tongue passionately but tenderly, flicking against the roof of her mouth before tracing teeth and repeating.

Regina placed her palm against Emma’s bare sternum, knowing they had to break the kiss before they reached a point where neither could stop.  They were already dangerously near that point.  Pressing against Emma’s chest gently, she broke their kiss.  Emma looked at Regina confused, her face red and her chest heaving.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Emma, I need you and I want you so badly, but we can’t do this.  Not here, not now.”

Emma looked at Regina, her eyes a mixture of lust, confusion, concern and frustration.

“Regina, please….”

Regina looked at Emma and opened her mouth to speak, to protest moving further, but nothing would come out except a series of rapid and deep breaths.

Pulling against each other, they crashed together again, clicking teeth and opening lips so that they could thrust tongues deeply into each other’s’ mouths, fighting for control of the kiss.  Eventually, Regina’s head lulled back, mouth parted slightly as she panted heavily.    

Emma took full advantage of Regina’s exposure, alternating between sucking and licking Regina’s neck, collarbone and jaw.  Almost on instinct, Regina reached down to palm Emma’s breast, strongly massaging and kneading the firm flesh.  Emma’s hardened peak brushed her palm once, and then twice, before she captured it between her thumb and forefinger, tugging and twisting it roughly as they kissed.  Emma moaned against her lips, stopping only for a moment to squeeze Regina’s hips and pull her closer.   Her reward was fingernails scraping against her spine from the top of her shorts to her neck.

“Two weeks without you is too long….” Emma whispered against Regina’s skin before placing open mouthed kisses against her neck, flicking her tongue and biting gently before soothing the same with a swirling tongue.

“Emma, please stop…”

Emma’s response was a scrape of teeth against Regina’s jaw.

“Emma, we have to stop….”

A flick of a tongue against sensitive flesh below her ear.

“Emma, STOP,” said Regina strongly as she stepped back.  Looking into her wife’s dark green eyes, Regina finished in a whisper,

“We can’t shower until I change the bandage on your shoulder.”

Emma’s face lightened as the realization of Regina’s word, ‘we’, hit her and she nodded, reluctantly releasing Regina to continue her work.  Stepping behind Emma, Regina made two cuts in the bandages, one at the center of her back and one atop her shoulder.  Easily, Regina pulled the wraps from Emma’s back and chest.  She placed a towel between Emma and the chair back and encouraged her to sit back slightly as she removed the pads as painlessly as before.  Working from behind, she looked over Emma’s shoulder and pressed her cheek to her wife’s, reaching around as if to hug her as she repeated the process for the front pads.  Entry and exit wounds were sealed tightly before Regina spoke again.

“Wait here.”

Emma remained in the chair as she watched Regina move to the shower and turn on the water from the outside controls.  Almost immediately, the steam collected in the space from the hot water that was falling within.  Keeping her back to Emma, Regina began to undress. 

Emma watched intently and unconsciously licked her lips as Regina slipped off pieces of clothing one by one, revealing flawless, olive skin.  She groaned as Regina slid her jeans off, revealing a black lace thong; the globes of her ass beautifully accentuated by the delicate fabric.  Soon even the thong was swept away by deft hands.  No longer content to watch from afar, Emma lifted from her seat and hobbled over quietly.  As Regina reached behind to unclasp her bra, she felt Emma’s hands at her back.

“Allow me.”

Emma used both hands to unclasp the hooks and eyes and then twisted her index fingers in the straps, pulling them down Regina’s arms while simultaneously stroking the bare skin of Regina’s biceps with the backs of her hands.  She felt her skin rise in response.  Emma kissed Regina’s shoulder and neck softly as Regina relaxed back against her chest.

“I’ve missed you, baby.”

Emma didn’t even wait to get into the shower, electing instead to press Regina against the outside wall.  She gasped and moaned as her shoulders touched the cold stone.  Emma was already kneeling on her good knee before her wife, palms against her hips, using her thumbs to separate her wife’s slick folds as she sought to taste Regina’s essence with her tongue.

Regina rested her thigh atop Emma’s good shoulder, opening herself fully to her wife who lapped and sucked greedily at the almost embarrassing amount of wetness Regina had accumulated over the course of only a few minutes together.  Regina’s hands sought purchase against the tile wall and, finding none, reached further from her sides.  There, one hand found the smooth steel of a bar used to provide support to patients, and she wrapped her palm around it tightly, bringing her other hand to the back of Emma’s head in an effort to maintain the pressure of her mouth and the location of her tongue.  Regina’s back was arched from the wall like a bow holding a drawn arrow and she rocked her hips strongly against Emma’s mouth.  She bit her lower lip hard between her teeth trying, only somewhat successfully, to stifle the moans that were falling freely and constantly from her own mouth.  God, how she wished they were home, so she could scream and moan her wife’s name over and over and over, begging Emma to take her fully and without hesitation.   Instead, she was relegated to almost silent encouragement in an effort to prevent them from drawing attention to their activities. 

Regina feared being caught, but there was no way she would fight this.  Not tonight.  She didn’t even want to try.  She needed Emma like she needed breath in her lungs.  She needed to feel the soothing touch of her hands and skin; her lips, mouth and tongue.   She needed the peace and strength and reassurance that Emma brought to her very soul.  She needed Emma to help her purge weeks of frustration and doubt, helplessness and fear, guilt and loneliness.  She sought the closeness that they achieved every time they made love.

Emma moaned heavily against Regina as she savored the taste of her wife; vibrations adding fuel to an already out of control fire.  She teased her in every way imaginable, sucking, licking, flicking, swirling, and circling as she brought Regina to the cusp of release time and time again without allowing her to fall over the edge.  She knew that Regina needed this and she intended to ensure that her wife was exhaustedly satisfied when she was done.  Grasping her hips, she slid Regina over to stand in front of the teak bench where she spread out the robe on the seat before helping her sit down.  Once seated, Emma pulled her hips so that she sat on the very edge of the front of the bench.  Kneeling again before her, she used her hands to gently part Regina’s thighs.  Using two fingers to trace through her wetness, she watched Regina’s eyes the entire time; they were darkened and half-closed.  Her lids fluttered as Emma’s fingers brushed past an engorged clit and her entrance several times.  Bowing her head, Emma sucked Regina’s clit between soft lips as she simultaneously slid two fingers inside.  Regina raised her hips to meet Emma’s fingers as they buried themselves up to the knuckle.   Knowing Regina wouldn’t last much longer, Emma found a rhythm that suited them both, her fingers curling slightly with each stroke to brush the patch of rough skin inside that was so sensitive.  Emma could hear Regina’s moans increase in volume as she felt the muscles clench around her fingers.  Clamping her hands over her own mouth to prevent her cries from being heard, Regina arched her back off the bench as she closed her eyes and came explosively spreading her wetness over Emma’s hand.

Emma leaned forward to kiss Regina as she rode out the aftershocks of her orgasm, touching her occasionally but mainly just holding her tightly and whispering ‘I love you’ in her ear.  When Regina recovered and felt up to it, she helped Emma into the shower where their bodies, hands and fingers slid against each other once more, this time, allowing them to share in  a mutual, cathartic release.

After helping Emma shower, Regina redressed and sat by the side of the whirlpool tub as Emma soaked and soothed her tired and aching muscles.  Laying her forearm on the top edge of the tub, Regina rested her chin on her arm, watching the swirls of water and bubbles that surrounded Emma as they rose and fell randomly.  Her eyes were unfocused but a smile played on her lips. 

“What are thinking about, baby?” said Emma as she watched Regina be lost in her thoughts.

Regina grinned wider as she heard Emma speak, “You.”

“I smile when I think of me too.  It’s all the awesomeness, you know.  I can’t help but smile,” teased Emma.

“Yes, dear, I was also thinking about how humble you are,” retorted Regina dryly with a smirk.

Avoid Emma’s gaze, Regina looked back at the water seriously.

“Pease don’t ever leave us, Emma.”

Emma placed her thumb and index fingers on Regina’s chin and turned her face gently towards her so she would look in her eyes.

“Never.  I love you too damn much, Regina.  Both of you.”

Emma soaked for a while longer before Regina helped her from the water and helped her dress.  Gathering her things, they exited the room.  Granny still sat at the nurses’ station.  If she suspected something, she never said or told another soul.  She was proud of Emma, as proud as she was of her own granddaughter and she wanted her happiness more than anything in the world.  Whatever it took, she would ensure that she got it, and she was happy that she found it with as good of a woman as Regina.

Walking back to the room, they laid the shampoos and conditioners and other items in the bath before Regina helped Emma into bed.  Kissing her softly on the lips and forehead, Regina tucked her wife in comfortably.  As she turned to find her place in the reclining chair, Emma grabbed her hand,

“Stay with me?  Just for little while.  Just until I fall asleep, baby.”

Regina nodded and lay beside Emma in the bed, curled against her body rapped in strong arms that promised to keep her warm and safe.    Emma held Regina tightly as she kissed her hair and head.  Eventually, sleep took them both; the sun finding them still together in Emma’s bed when it rose again.


	11. The Safe Seat

**Early-July, 2015**

**_Picture (left): A grey-tone print out of an ultrasound_ ** _._

**_Picture (right): An audio CD is taped to the page._ **

Emma was standing about as close to Regina as was possible without actually crawling on top of her.  The nurse watched the situation with interest; Emma huddled with her front pressed tightly against Regina's side, as Regina signed the log indicating their arrival time and the appointment time.  Emma was paying little attention to either of them, opting instead to scope the room for the best possible piece of real estate.  She prayed Regina would write faster as she spied a potential opportunity that might be wasted if they lingered too long at the front desk.

Short of them being at Dr. Bell's toddler's birthday party, the obstetrician's office was the next closest thing to a personal hell that Emma could envision.  The waiting room seemed to be filled with expectant mothers and their already-hatched children, none of which seemed to be able to stay firmly planted in a seat.  Some ran about flailing as if they had accidently (or purposely) set themselves afire, while others pushed and shoved siblings, other unsuspecting children and, occasionally, adults; still others, usually the smaller ones, wandered about aimlessly before face-planting into the carpeting, recovering, considering their next move (cry or continue) and moving on to face-plant again in another area.  Most of the adults seemed oblivious to the events unfolding around them.  Emma briefly considered whether they had combined this clinic with the short attention span clinic, because one thing was for sure; most of these mother’s couldn’t give a rat’s ass about what all these kids, theirs or others, were doing and discipline was most definitely in short order.  It was a far cry from the heavy-handedness of most of her foster homes and foster parents.

A few of the other things Emma knew for sure at this point: these visits were some serious family and group affairs, there must be the equivalent of stadium seating in the exam room, and sitters must be in some seriously short supply in Storybrooke.  Someone could make a killing if they tapped that market.

The potential opportunity that Emma saw was a small cluster of chairs in the corner of the waiting room which was entirely devoid of both adults and children.  As soon as Regina finished signing in, Emma made a beeline for that spot.  She was so preoccupied with getting there before anyone else stole her slice of heaven that she failed to notice that Regina hadn’t followed.  Instead, Regina opted to take off in the opposite direction, right towards the chaos that Emma was trying to avoid.  Only after Emma plunked down in her spot triumphantly did she notice that Regina hadn’t followed.  Looking around, she spied Regina on the opposite side of the room.  She was settling herself quietly in a chair while pulling her bag and purse into her lap.

As Regina continued to situate herself, Emma tried to catch her attention with small, intermittent waves of her hand.  Regina didn’t seem to notice, though, as she picked up a magazine and began thumbing through the pages.  Emma had slowly worked her way up into a full-blown, spastic meltdown in an effort to catch her wife’s attention when Regina finally looked up.  Cocking an eyebrow at Emma, she gave her a glare that quickly ended the gesticulations and she shook her head ‘no’ one time.  She pointed to her seat indicating that Emma should come join her instead.

Emma slouched, pouting, in her chair as she considered her options: a trip to hell now seated among the kids or a trip to hell later at home when she got an earful from Regina for not sitting next to her before such an important appointment.  Strongly considering the fact that Regina had the power to withhold sex, something that, to Emma, was on par in importance with food, air and water, she resigned herself to moving seats.  At least Regina was sitting near a corner and there was a vacant chair between her and the table that held the magazines.  Insulation on two sides; not as good as her current location, but better than full exposure.  Emma began to monitor the activity going on around her, trying to time her movements strategically between face-plants, so she had the most uninterrupted chance at crossing the room.  At least it was a straight path from her seat to her wife’s.

Rocking her body like an Olympic pole vaulter, Emma hoisted herself up and took off quickly across the room.  As she approached, Regina, who was still deeply focused on her magazine, shifted both of her bags into Emma’s target location, the ‘safe seat’.  There was no turning back now.  Emma was pretty certain that the kids had fallen in behind her like dominos, blocking any easy retreat, so it was press ahead or get taken down.

_Holy crap, this is worse than World War Z,_ thought Emma. 

With no other choice, she sat on Regina’s other side and expelled a deep breath as she realized she had made it safe, and untouched, to her new seat.  She didn’t notice the quick glance and smirk that crossed her wife’s face.  Silently, Regina patted herself on the back for exquisite timing.  If Regina was all about one thing, it was tough love.  Regina turned the page of the magazine that she wasn’t at all interested in (except as a cover) as she kept a watchful eye on the situation.

_This is going to be one interesting appointment and we aren’t even in the exam room yet…._

Emma grabbed the closest magazine on the chair beside her and opened it to a random page.  Looking over the top of the book, she took in her new situation.  In short order, she saw that her chair faced the side of another chair, part of a line of them that sat in the middle of the room.  Perched on that chair was a boy that looked to be 2 or 3 years old.  He stared straight ahead, swinging his feet strongly, so that they banged the underside of the seat every time his legs pulled back, causing him to jump.  His finger was buried knuckle deep in one side of his nose.  Emma figured he would have had another finger in the other side if it hadn’t been for the fact that the opposite nostril was almost completely caked closed with a thick coating of boogers.  In his free hand, he held a vanilla wafer.  At least that’s what Emma thought it was.  It was hard to tell because of its completely pulverized state.  The crumbs’ only chance of staying together seemed to be the existence of an abundance of spit which he supplied happily, at regular intervals, as he shoved both the cookie and part of his fist into his mouth, sucking a few times and then removing both hand and cookie to wipe them against his pant leg.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, beside him sat his equally, snot-encrusted brother who was no more than about 1 year older.  He wore what looked like a colander on his head, which turned out to be a stroke of genius on someone’s part, because with the strength he was using to beat the wooden block against his noggin, Emma figured that kid was going to be destined for brain damage in short order.

Unable to process any more of the scene, Emma looked down at the magazine she was holding only to be greeted by an advertisement with a random assortment of pictures of women’s breasts all with nipples that looked like they were in various stages of painful decomposition.  Looking at the tag line, “Trouble With Breastfeeding Irritation?” Emma made a mental note to get a case of the advertised cream for Regina.  That just looked very not appealing….for anyone.  Turning the page, Emma was greeted by a much more pleasant picture.  Evidently, this woman had breastfeeding down to an art form, because she sported an impressive set of boobs and nipples, not as beautiful or as accessible as Regina’s, but very nice all the same.  The remaining pages were filled with more of the same type of pictures and Emma wondered if she could get a subscription to this magazine under the guise of being helpful.  It might be nice to have handy when Regina was working a lot.  _You know, for the articles…._

Emma was about to turn to the front cover to make note of the name when she felt something pound hard into the top of each of her thighs.  A mix of confusion and irritation washed over her before she realized something even more awful than the pain in her legs; the banging noise had stopped.  Lifting the bottom of the magazine, she recoiled, pressing herself against the back of her chair and twisting her face in horror as two small hands wiped down the tops of her thighs, a trail of vanilla wafers and snot clinging to her jeans in their wake.  Throwing the magazine into the chair beside her, Emma saw the kid, who had previously been in the seat, now standing before her.  He was smiling some goofy grin at Emma and it seemed that whatever cookie wasn’t on her jeans had managed to deposit itself in his teeth and gums.  A trail of drool ran from his lower lip to his chest and was surprisingly strong.  It swayed to and fro freely as he wiggled around.

“Uhhhhhhh…” was all Emma managed to get out.

“Mommy likes it when the doctor touches her vagina!!” shouted the boy gleefully.  Emma thought about her own appointments at the gynecologist and seriously doubted that this kid’s Mom was as enthusiastic about this visit as he seemed to think she was.  Considering the size of their clan, though, it seemed that his Mom most definitely liked SOMEONE touching her vagina and, evidently, quite often.  The kid might just be on to something here.

“Uhhhhhhh……OK”

Regina would have laughed aloud at the exchange that was taking place, if Emma didn’t look like she was about to go into cardiac arrest.  

As quick as the boy was there, he was gone again.  He was now entertaining himself by whirling around between the rows of chairs, extinguishing his own invisible flames while singing a song to himself that seemed to include only the word ‘vagina’ and no discernable tune.  Standing from her seat, Emma made a beeline for the front desk, walking as if she had just jumped off a horse after a long day’s ride.  There, she retrieved hand sanitizer and Kleenex in an effort to clean the crumbs and slug trails from her jeans.  After about a minute, she had only managed to create two fluffy white streaks down the front of her legs as the cotton of the tissue fell apart and simply clung to the sticky wetness that wasn’t moving.

Resigning herself to the fact that she was probably going to have to sacrifice these jeans to the backyard fire pit, Emma abandoned her task and started back towards her chair.  As she looked up, she found that vanilla wafer kid had abandoned his song and dance to take a seat in HER chair next to Regina.  The two of them seemed to be engaged in a deep discussion about his cookie as he continued to crush what was left of it in his opening and closing palm that he had held up so Regina could see.

Emma drew a breath and stalked forward, completely prepared to tell this kid to scram.  As she approached the pair, she heard Regina speak,

“Oh, Emma, my new friend Brendan was just telling me how much he loves cookies.”

Regina flashed him a beautiful smile as she ran her fingers through his hair, tussling it gently.

As Regina looked up at Emma, flashing a brilliant smile at her wife as well, Brendan also turned his head, showing Emma the same cookie-encrusted smile that he had shown just a few minutes prior.

_Ugh, does this kid swallow or does he just pack food away in his cheeks like a squirrel?_

Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked directly at Regina, “Yeah, he seems to have a real fascination with vaginas too,” stated Emma dryly.

“Well, it seems that you and Brendan have at least two things in common then, doesn’t it?” replied Regina with a smirk.

Emma narrowed her eyes at Regina and opened her mouth praying that a witty retort was already magically on its way from her blank brain to her lips.  She didn’t get to experience the shocked look that she knew would be on Regina’s face when it did finally arrive, because at that moment, Regina added,

“Come on, dear, the nurse just called our name.”

* * *

 

They entered a room that had relatively little furniture considering its size.  A bank of cabinets and counters lined one of the shorter walls while the head of an examination bed was pushed against the long wall.  On one side of the bed was a small, rolling stool.  On the other side of the bed was a good sized machine, also on rollers, that included a larger TV monitor, a keyboard, a computer screen and a variety of dials and wires.  Above the bed hung another large, TV monitor that the patient could watch more comfortably.  A desk chair sat between the bed and the machine to allow the doctor to work between the two.

The nurse handed Regina a busily-checkered blue and white gown.

“Dr. Mills, I need you to take off your clothes and put on this gown.  When you are ready, you can lie down on the bed and pull the sheet and blanket up to your waist.  The doctor will be with you in a few minutes.”  Turning towards Emma, the nurse addressed her as well, “Ma’am, you can take a seat on the stool, if you would like.”

Regina thanked the nurse before she left and then walked to the counter to place her bags on top.  Returning to the bed, Regina slowly and quietly removed her clothes as Emma watched.  Regina’s confidence from a few minutes ago had been replaced by something that could be better described as nerves and doubt.  She finished pulling on the gown and lay down on the bed, pulling up the sheet and blanket as instructed.  Emma rolled to the side of the bed and Regina reached out to find Emma’s hand with her own as she looked up at the blank monitor.  She entwined their fingers and squeezed tightly. 

“Hey,” whispered Emma, “it’s going to be fine.  We’re going to get to see our beautiful baby today.”

Emma gave Regina a gentle smile and ran the tips of her fingers through her thick hair.  Luckily, it seemed to have a calming effect, although they both startled slightly as the knock on the door came.

“Yes,” stated Regina giving permission to enter.

The door opened and there stood Dr. Whale.  Emma had met him a couple times before at Regina’s first trimester appointments.  She didn’t care much for him.  He always seemed to linger his gaze on Regina far too long for Emma’s liking, but, according to her wife, he was one of the best OB/GYNs in the country.  If they wanted their baby have the best care, and both of them did, they would have to stick it out.

“So, Regina, Emma, are you ready to see your baby?”

Regina and Emma nodded their heads in unison.

“OK, so normally we wouldn’t require the gown, but you are on the cusp of your first and second trimesters.  We are going to try doing a conventional ultrasound, but if we are having problems seeing things, we may have to move to transvaginal.  I figured we would be prepared either way.”

Regina nodded at the information provided while Emma remained thoroughly confused.  Whatever it was he was babbling about, Emma knew for certain that she didn’t really want Whale near Regina’s transvaginal anything for as long as it could be avoided.  He was really starting to sound a lot like Brendan from out in the lobby; preoccupied too much with vaginas.  Dammit, now Emma had a craving for vanilla wafers.

“OK, so if you want to lift your gown and leave the sheet in place, we’ll get started.”

Regina did as she was asked.  When done, she lay with her slightly rounded tummy exposed; the sheet pulled up just below it.  Dr. Whale had turned on the machine and was entering in some information on the keyboard.  The TV monitors hummed but remained blank for the time being.

“Regina, I know you are aware of the details of the procedure, but I am going to walk through what we are doing so Emma is aware as well.  Emma, we are going to put a jelly on Regina’s stomach to help the transducer slide and to carry the waves.  Everything works on sound, so it is perfectly safe and Regina and the baby won’t be in any danger.  We are just trying to get a visual to confirm that the pregnancy is progressing normally.  We are going to get an audio of the heart beat as well.  If the baby is turned right, we may even determine the sex today.  Any questions?”

Emma shook her head.

“If I can determine the sex of the baby, would you like to know?”

Emma and Regina looked at each other and then at Dr. Whale, nodding affirmatively. 

“OK, why don’t we get started then?”

Dr. Whale picked up the transducer and squeezed some of the gel on the end.  He applied a liberal amount to Regina’s lower stomach as well.  Placing the hand-held device against Regina’s abdomen, they all saw the TV monitor flicker to life.  Within the wedge shaped display was a lot of grey tone with some darker voids.  Emma squinted trying to make sense of the jumble of static that was in the display.  Nothing was really jumping out at her screaming ‘baby’ and Whale was moving the wand all over the place, so the second Emma thought she saw something, the picture changed and it was gone again.  She wanted to reach out and grab his hand to still it, but refrained.   He continued typing while he worked.  Sliding the transducer slightly to the left, he paused.   Emma heard Regina gasp about the same time as she squeezed Emma’s hand tightly.  Emma looked at her wife’s eyes.  They were fixated on the screen and had widened slightly.  Emma noticed that Regina swallowed thickly.  She assumed Regina was simply overwhelmed with seeing their baby for the first time.  Emma looked back to the screen and tried hard to see what Regina was seeing.  She was failing miserably. 

“I’m going to keep this image up and turn on the sound for you.”

The room was suddenly filled with beats interspersed with a swishing sound.  The beats seemed incredibly fast and faded in and out in a slightly out of time rhythm.  Almost every other beat was an alternate soft or loud sound.

“Wow, our baby has a strong heart, Regina.  That thing beats really fast, huh?” said Emma in completely, clueless wonder.

Emma was watching the monitor intently and Regina and Dr. Whale threw knowing glances at each other at the same time.

“So what are we looking at here, Doc,” asked Emma cheerfully, still unable to figure out anything in the picture.

Dr. Whale looked at Regina who nodded her head for him to continue.  She looked between the monitor and Emma as he talked.  Using the mouse, Dr. Whale pointed to different points in the picture.

“So, here,” Dr. Whale circled a specific area, “you will see the head.”

“Oh yeah, now I can see it,” stated Emma proudly.  Hell, it was so obvious once someone actually helped her get her bearings.

“And here is an arm.  It’s bent, and it looks like the baby is sucking its thumb.”  Dr. Whale was swallowing more frequently and hesitating slightly.  He kept glancing to Regina who nodded for him to continue, while she kept diligent watch on the monitor and Emma.  Luckily, Emma didn’t notice any of what was going on behind and beside her.

“And here is a leg and the foot.”

Emma pulled herself off the stool and placed her palms on the side of the bed.  She leaned closer to the overhead monitor, squinting hard at a spot a little to the right of where Whale was pointing and cocked her head. 

“What’s that, Doc?” asked Emma as she pointed to the spot on the screen that she was looking at.

“Ummmmmm,” said Dr. Whale hoping to stall for some time.

“Bet that’s other leg and foot.  Am I right?” Emma asked triumphantly.

This time it was Regina that responded softly,

“No, Emma, it’s our other baby.”

Emma squinted at the spot on the monitor again, almost as if she hadn’t heard Regina and was still waiting for a response.  Finally, her brain and ears synched up, and Emma looked down at the covers on the bed as she gaped her mouth slightly and her faced drained of all color.  Her brow was furrowed as she tried to process the words Regina just said.

“Emma!” was the last thing she heard as her world went black.

If there was a saving grace to the whole mess, it was that Emma was already out when her forehead hit the edge of the bedframe and she was still out when the back of her head bounced again off the cement floor.

* * *

 

Emma was sitting in Puerto Rico on a lounge chair on a beach in a small, blue bikini.  Her eyes were closed behind her sunglasses and she relished the warmth of the sun all over her skin.  Regina sat beside her, holding her hand and brushing her fingertips through the hair at her temple.  Regina talked to her softly as she stroked the skin of her forehead. 

Over and over again, she could hear Regina repeating, “Emma, are you OK?”

Of course, she was OK.  Why wouldn’t she be OK?  God, it felt so good to just relax in the sun with her wife and listen to the gentle lapping of the surf against the beach.  The only thing that might make this experience better was a margarita in her hand.  Yeah, that would be the icing on the cake.  Emma tried to remember the night before, but everything seemed to be a bit of a blur.  She figured the gaps were due to copious amounts of alcohol being consumed, and she was with Regina, so she figured there had been a lot of sex.  There was no doubt in her mind that the love-making had been phenomenal.  Her wife was so damn sexy when she was drunk.  Maybe the alcohol was the reason she felt so relaxed and tired right now.  Either way, that margarita sounded good, so she figured she would give it a whirl.  Where else did she need to be?

Emma didn’t even open her eyes as she lifted her head from the lounge chair.  The moment she moved, she felt a dull ache in the front and back of her skull.  Damn, she must have drunk more than she thought last night. 

“Don’t try to get up, Emma.” said Regina as she put gentle pressure on her shoulder to keep her on the lounge chair.   Damn, the sun felt so warm.  Maybe she would lay there for another few minutes, and then she would make that drink, but the siren song of the alcohol was so damn tempting.  That’s it.  She was getting that drink.  Emma tried again to sit up, but the gentle pressure on her shoulder remained, making it almost impossible to move.  Dammit, why wouldn’t Regina let her get up?

Emma opened her eyes trying to figure out what was going on when two things hit her: _this ain’t Puerto Rico AND she definitely needed a margarita_.

Looking up and ahead, she saw the TV monitor that she remembered from earlier hanging dark above the bed.  She didn’t remember seeing it from this angle though.  In fact, she could very distinctly remember Regina being in the bed while she sat on the stool where Regina was now sitting, fully clothed.  Emma let out a groan and shook her head slowly as the entire replay of the previous events came back.   

“How are you feeling, Emma?” Regina continued to push her fingers softly into the hair at Emma’s temple and rubbed gentle circles over Emma’s knuckles as she held tightly to her hand.

Emma groaned again as she pushed herself up slightly in the bed.

“Well….uhhhh…..my head hurts,” said Emma meekly.

“I would imagine so,” said Regina with a gentle smile as she brushed another errant strand of hair from Emma’s forehead, “It bounced twice on the way down, once on the bed, and once on the floor.”  Regina traced a finger across the red mark on Emma’s forehead. “You really gave us a scare, Emma,” pausing, she added softly, “You gave ME a scare, Emma. “

“You kind of did the same to me, Regina,” mumbled Emma trying to avoid her wife’s eyes.

“Well, I suppose you’re right,” chuckled Regina softly.  “On the bright side, you promised me that no matter what happened, you wouldn’t run.  And you didn’t.  You stayed right where I could see you, even if it was on the floor beside the bed.”  Regina flashed her beautiful, heart-melting smile at Emma and winked hoping Emma would look at her long enough to see it. 

Emma twisted her fist into the sheets at her side.  She wasn’t even sure where to start.

“I’m sorry, Regina.  I really screwed up this time.  I took what should have been a great day for us and turned it into a real mess.  I guess I wasn’t expecting to hear ‘twins’ today.  I just wasn’t ready for that, you know.  I’m barely able to wrap my mind around being responsible for one baby, let alone two. “

“Well, I can’t say that I was very well prepared for the news either, Emma, but I think we both knew it was a real possibility given the way we conceived.  And, I think, somehow, we will manage just fine.”

Emma became very somber and quiet as she prepared herself for her next question,

“Regina, did you know before we came for this appointment?”

“Emma, all I can tell you is that something felt, well, different from anything anyone has ever described to me before.  If I had known for sure, I wouldn’t have kept that from you.  When Dr. Whale brought up the last image, I had a good idea that what I felt was true, but even then I couldn’t be sure.  Only when he turned on the sound, did I hear it.  The beats confirmed it.  I would never lie to you Emma.  I didn’t know.”

“I just know you went to the first appointment without me.  I was afraid maybe you were leaving me out because you were afraid of what I would do or say,” Emma trailed off dejectedly.

“Emma, you were sick then, and I needed you to focus on you.  I thought you understood….” Regina sighed as she looked down at Emma’s hands and took one of each in her own.

“Emma, I told you, once upon a time, that we both needed you, and I meant it.  Now, three of us need you.  We need you with us, more than ever.  We will never leave you out of anything.”  Regina took Emma’s chin gently and turned her head so she would look in her eyes.

“You were right about something, though.  They have very strong hearts and our son and our daughter are very healthy.”

Emma’s eyes went wide.

“We are having a b-boy…and a g-girl?”

Regina bit her lower lip as she smiled and nodded at Emma.

“It’s all right here in the pictures and the recordings.” Regina held up a small folder that contained papers, DVDs and an audio CD of the heartbeats. 

“Dr. Whale made a copy of the session so that we could see it and listen to it at home.  Will you watch it with me, Emma?  I want show you everything.  I want us to share all of this.”

Emma nodded at her wife, “I’d like that a lot, Regina…..”

Emma sat very still for a moment contemplating everything she had seen and heard that day.  Regina jumped a little as her wife became incredibly animated all of a sudden and looked at her with incredibly scared eyes

“Holy crap, Regina.  Do you think we’re ready?  Do you think we can do this?  We have so much to do now.  We have to buy and put together two of everything.  We need double the amount of supplies.  Do you think the house is big enough?  Do you think we can handle them?  Holy shit, Regina, how are we going to handle two babies?”

Regina cocked her eyebrow at Emma, before teasing, “Well, newborns can be quick and sneaky, but we’re bigger, so yeah, I think we can take ‘em.” Regina smirked at Emma and winked trying to bring some levity in a situation that neither of them had been prepared for.   

Emma stopped and looked at Regina quizzically. “How do you do it, Regina?  How are you not scared?”

Regina squeezed Emma’s hands in her own.  She looked deep into Emma’s emerald eyes before speaking softly,

“I know you think that I am not scared, Emma, and you are right.  I am not scared.  I am terrified.”  Regina paused for a moment to let her words sink in.  Emma looked back at her confused.

“For the next six months, our son and daughter will rely on me, solely, for everything, Emma; nourishment, protection, love….absolutely everything.  Every time I cross a street or get in a car, I wonder if we will make it home safely.  Every time I take care of belligerent patient, I worry that person will hurt them.  Every time I eat something or we go to a restaurant or I buy something at the grocery, I wonder if they will get what they need from it.  Every time I speak to them, I only hope that I can calm them…” Regina’s eyes were starting to fill with tears as she spoke and she cupped Emma’s cheek in her hand, “And I tell them.  I tell them about you all the time, Emma.  I tell them about how you love them and how you love me.  And they know, Emma.  They know that you are the most kind, gentle, beautiful, protective, caring, frustrating, loving, carefree, funny woman that I know.  And they know that you are their mother.”

Emma reached up to wipe a tear from Regina’s cheek with her thumb.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were so scared, Regina?”

Regina wiped away the tears from her cheeks with the palms of her hands.

“What kind of doctor would I be if I walked into every patient’s room, nervous about what I would find or what I would do?”

“Regina, I’m not your patient.  I am your wife.  I need you to be honest.   I want you to tell me everything, good and bad.  Let me help you get through this until I can truly help equally.  Please don’t keep anything from me…I don’t want you to be afraid.  I just want to take care of you.  All three of you…”

The tears were falling freely from Regina’s eyes as Emma captured her lips in a passionate kiss.  Not caring where they were in that instant, Emma pulled Regina on top of her in the bed, exploring her mouth deeply with her tongue, tangling her fingers in her hair, massaging her lower back and melting into her very skin, begging her wife wordlessly to release her fears so that she could shoulder the burden for a while.  When their kiss broke, Regina lay atop Emma, holding her tightly and kissing her heart.

“We are going to have to start thinking about names, Emma.”

“Well, I know one we can rule out right now.”

“What’s that, dear?”

“Brendan,” chuckled Emma.

And even Regina laughed…..


	12. Raccoon Wrangling

**Early-August, 2015**

**_Picture (Left): A beautifully decorated nursery with double the furniture of a typical baby’s room. Sitting in each crib is a stuffed raccoon._ **

**_Picture (Right): A selfie of Emma and Regina in work clothes that are covered in mint green paint.  Regina smirks as she lays her wet paintbrush on Emma’s cheek._ **

“’Gina, baby, what time is it?” hollered Emma from her seat on the floor not bothering to look up.

A quietly annoyed voice responded almost instantaneously in the doorway behind her.

“It’s about 2:30, Emma.  Must you yell?  The house isn’t that big.”

Emma chose to simply ignore the last question, instead, standing up and wiping her hands down the front of her tank leaving mint green, wet paint in their wake.  Crossing her arms over her chest, she smiled smugly and mentally patted herself on the back for a job well done.   She had definitely earned a break to watch the Sox game and she had just enough time to shower before the first pitch.

“Well,” stated Emma grandly motioning her hands as if presenting the room, “what do you think?”

Regina raised her eyebrows and looked about the room, taking a deep breath, not quite knowing where to start.

“Uhhhhhhh,” was about all she managed to get out before Emma was pushing past her through the doorway.

Regina pressed herself as flat against the frame as was possible these days to allow Emma to pass without transferring paint from her tank onto some of the few maternity clothes that were still fitting.

She was almost in the clear when Emma stopped mid-pass, reached out and tapped the side of Regina’s tummy with her palm, smiling proudly at the current location of their babies, and stated,

“This is all for you, munchkins!” before heading off at a trot down the hall to the master shower.

Regina’s eyes went wide as she looked down to see a perfect, mint green handprint on her black shirt.  Sighing heavily, Regina turned back to look at the nursery.  It looked like a tornado had hit.  Tools, pieces of furniture and screws littered the floor.  A huge canvas drop cloth covered some of the area rug and a portion of the hardwood floor.  A paint pan sat in the middle of the cloth, filled to almost overflowing with the same mint green paint that Emma, and now Regina, were wearing.  Various brushes and rollers, some used, some not, lay about on the canvas.  Some of the color was on each of the walls, mostly in one or two overlapping ‘W’s and ‘V’s.  On one of the walls, Emma had managed to write her full name, ‘Emma Swan-Mills’, in cursive no less.  Regina had to admit that she was more than a little impressed with that one.

Regina couldn’t help but smile when she looked across the room, though.  There, in the corner, was one, perfectly assembled, dark mahogany crib.  Stepping carefully around the multitude of items scattered on the floor, she approached the crib almost cautiously.  Tentatively, she reached out and ran her hand along the smooth wood of the front rail.  Emma had even put the sheets and blankets on the small mattress and Regina reached in to rub the soft flannel between her fingertips.  The sheets were covered with a scene from a farm where small baskets of apples sat interspersed between fruit trees, horses and carts.  Emma had said they reminded her of a September weekend last fall when they had picked Honey Crisps at an orchard in upstate Maine.  Regina remembered the exact one.  It was when they had committed to each other that they would take the next step of adding to their family.

Regina closed he eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves.  Everything was so surreal.  In about five months, she and Emma would be welcoming, not one, but two new babies into this world, trying their best to figure everything out and relying heavily on each other to get through the first days, weeks and months.  It was overwhelming, and Regina always tried to focus on all of the ‘firsts’ that they would get to experience together, as a family, when she started to feel unsure – first Christmas, first steps, first words, first time seeing Emma with their children.  She let the pictures run through her mind and she started to relax.

Opening her eyes and smiling softly, Regina rubbed her tummy gently with her left hand and whispered,

“See this crib, mijos.  Sometimes, Mamma Emma gets things just right.”

Feeling stickiness on her hand, Regina looked down to see a palm covered in mint green paint and a large smudge on her shirt where Emma’s handprint used to be.

With an exasperated whisper, she finished,

“And sometimes, Mamma Emma is just a mess.”

Turning around, Regina weaved her way to the door before heading towards the Master bedroom to change her shirt and wash her hand.

* * *

 

When Regina found Emma, she was already sitting on the couch, freshly showered and changed into clean sweats and tank, focused on the start of the Sox game with a beer in her hand.

“Emma, please tell me that you are going to clean up the nursery.  I don’t want any accidents, and there is a lot of paint in that tray.”

Without taking her eyes or attention off the TV, Emma mumbled a response,

“I am just taking a little break to watch the Sox.  After the first few innings, I will go in there and clean up.  You worry too much.”

Regina cocked her head and looked up at Emma through her eyelashes.  Emma’s last three trips to the E.R., had, ironically enough, started with those exact, four words.  Emma had also uttered the same words about 10 minutes before she was retrieving their charred propane tank from the neighbor’s pool the previous summer.

Rolling her eyes, Regina continued to the laundry to begin the task of removing paint from her and Emma’s clothes.

Less than 10 minutes later, Emma was distracted from the game by her work phone buzzing on the table. 

_This is my day off, seriously, what can be that important?_ groaned Emma to herself as she picked up the phone to read the text.

**_Need your notes from Gold case.  Working leads.  Drop them at the station before 5PM?_ **

_Dammit_ , thought Emma, _I knew I forgot something when I left the other day._

Emma had just finished rubbing her forehead and was staring at the phone when Regina came back into the room.  She noticed the cell was Emma’s work phone.

“Everything OK?”

“I forgot to leave my notes on one of the cases and I guess they are working leads.  They need me to run them by the station by 5PM.”

“Don’t forget, childbirth and childcare classes start this evening at 5PM at the hospital.  I thought we could go out to dinner afterwards.  If you want to drop the notes, I can drive separately and meet you at the hospital.”

Emma sighed and groaned at the thought of being in a class on her day off.  She knew Regina would want to sit in the front-middle which just meant a higher likelihood of being called on to answer questions or get badgered by the instructor.  Emma had been made to sit in the front of one too many classrooms in her day and she knew how this worked. 

“Remind me again why we are doing these classes and why we are doing them now?” whined Emma.

“Emma, we have to know what to expect in the delivery room and in the first few weeks after we bring the baby home.  The classes are six weeks and you know how my schedule gets at the University and hospital once the term starts.  We have to do them now, because the Fall will be impossible to manage.”

This day off was starting to go downhill fast, but she would tough it out for Regina and for the promise of dinner afterwards.  Her stomach was starting to grumble and she was dying to try the little Italian place near the wharf.

Standing, she put her phone in her pocket and grabbed for her keys before placing a chaste kiss on Regina’s lips.  As she walked out the door, Regina heard Emma call back,

“Meet you at the hospital by 5PM.  And I want Italian afterwards….”

* * *

 

Regina was pacing outside the classroom at 4:55PM waiting for Emma to arrive as promised.

“Emma, where are you?” whispered Regina through gritted teeth.  She checked her cell every few minutes to make sure she hadn’t missed a call or text from Emma telling her where she was.  Regina heard the door to the classroom open behind her and the instructor, a young woman with a soft voice, stuck her head into the hallway.

“Dr. Mills, we are getting ready to start, if you want to come inside.”

As Regina stepped through the door, her phone chimed.

**Stuck at station.  Chief wants me here for interrogations.  Be home after midnight.  Sorry baby.**

Sighing, Regina put her phone on vibrate and didn’t even bother to respond.

* * *

 

Regina made her way to one of the empty mats that had been laid out on the floor in the classroom.  It was right in the middle and she felt like everyone’s eyes were on her as she took a seat quietly.  Looking around, Regina could see that all the other mothers were paired up with their respective spouse or significant other who was sitting behind them on the mat, allowing them to lean back against them for support.

Regina’s eyes were starting to fill with tears and she bit her lip and swallowed thickly to keep them from spilling onto her cheeks.

Her actions must have been noticeable, because the woman on the mat closest to her reached over and patted Regina’s hand.  In a sympathetic voice, she asked, unfortunately, loud enough for those surrounding to hear.

“Oh, sweetheart, are you a single Mom?”

Regina’s mouth fell open slightly and she delivered a confused look.  Before Regina could respond, the woman continued.

“You know, I was watching this reality TV show the other day where this girl got pregnant by this guy when she was in college.  Frat party….Too much to drinking….One thing led to another.  You know how it works.  Well, anyways, she decided to have the baby.  Did it all on her own.  I’m not sure I could do it, but she did.  I am sure you can do it too.  Of course, she knew who the father was.  Do you know who the father is?”

By this time, Regina’s eyes were blown wide and her mouth had fallen completely open as she stared at the woman in disbelief.

“Wh-What?” was about all that Regina could stutter out.

“I am just saying that, even if you don’t want something long term, he might be willing to come to classes and show some support.  He might even be able to give you some money, if you need it to buy clothes or formula or diapers or some of the essentials.  Honey, he planted the seeds; he should have to tend the garden too,” she finished matter-of-factly.

_That’s it! You are so dead, Emma_ , thought Regina, _I am going to kill you, then this woman beside me and then you again_.

Regina furrowed her brow and opened her mouth to respond when the instructor cut in, sensing the awkward situation brewing in the middle of the room.

“I am sure we will all get the chance to get to know each other better over the course of the next 6 weeks, but for now, perhaps, we should talk about the agenda for the evening?  My name is Nurse Belle French and this is my first time teaching this class, and I am so excited to be with you during this journey.  I think we will all have a fun and exciting time together.”  Looking down at her notes, Nurse Belle swallowed thickly and continued with a bit less enthusiasm.

“Oh well, look at that, looks like we get to start with introductions.”

They proceeded around the classroom, each couple stating their names, due dates, occupations and a brief reason why they were attending for the next 6 weeks.  Regina was the last to go.  As she started, the woman beside her gave an encouraging smile and pumped her fists slightly in front of her in solidarity, whispering,

“You can do this!”

Flustered, Regina did a double-take at the woman beside her before starting her introduction.

“My name is Dr. Regina Mills.  I am the Chief Trauma Surgeon here at Storybrooke Medical Center and Chair of the Trauma Department at Portland University.  My wife, Emma, who was supposed to be here tonight, is a Lieutenant in the Storybrooke Police Department.  We are attending because she launched a propane tank into the neighbor’s pool last summer,”

“That was you two?  Epic…” came a man’s voice, full of awe, from the corner of the room.

Regina rolled her eyes before continuing,

“caught the kitchen on fire twice, ‘accidentally’ let the boat float off a mile when she forgot to tether it to the dock and recently crossed the water lines to put boiling hot water into the Master bathroom toilet.  I am not letting her near a baby until we get a few things sorted out in this class.  Oh, and we are due in late-December but are taking class early because I will be teaching Fall Term, and,” Regina added as she looked over at the couple beside her, “taking it later conflicted with the abundance of keggers that I will be attending at the frat houses….”

Regina flashed a huge smile at the woman and pumped her fists in front of her slightly before rolling her eyes in annoyance.  The woman simply stared at Regina as if she was trying to work out whether Regina really _was_ planning on attending frat parties like the girl on the show.

As Regina sat down, Nurse Belle began again.

“Well, that was…uhhhh….enlightening….perhaps we should move on to the next topic?”

Everyone nodded enthusiastically in agreement just to move on from the awkwardness of the previous conversation.

“Well, you all are in for a real treat!”  Nurse Belle clapped her hands together and gave everyone a huge, excited smile.  “During this class, we will be piloting a new program where each couple will be given an animatronic, simulated baby to care for during the duration of our time together.  This baby is designed to mimic a newborn’s behaviors, sleep cycles, feeding patterns, general fussiness, everything.  Basically, you are going to get to experience the real deal!”

A murmur of approval broke out in the classroom before Nurse Belle continued.

“Now, we are going to assign you each a baby and let you get started this evening.”

They spent the rest of the two-hour class learning the basics of caring for and soothing their simulated child.  When done correctly, the baby would still and sleep.  If done incorrectly, the couples could tell that they would be in for a long night. 

Regina had to admit that she was impressed with the investment made by the hospital.  The simulators truly were realistic and a great teaching tool.  Not only did they cry, but they had limited motion of arms, legs and torsos as well causing them to squirm about when care was being administered.

Towards the end of class, Nurse Belle spoke up to remind them of the rules.

“Now, we realize that many of you may not have worked out your schedules yet and would feel awkward getting a sitter for your ‘fake’ baby.  We simply ask that, when you are home for an extended period, you activate the pressure switch on the back and spend at least 30-40 hours per week caring for the child.  Each week, we will download the information to see how successful you were.  Remember, you can’t just turn the baby off in the middle of a cry cycle.  It has to be calm and sleeping before you can turn it off.”

As Regina left the classroom with the other students, she felt that she had managed decently well on her own, though, she too had been the victim of a few longer-than-necessary cry cycles.  She couldn’t help but think that some of the work would have been easier if Emma had been there to help or at least offer words of encouragement.  Years of education and hands-on medical training had given her all of the technical details she needed related to child birth and development, but actually caring for a baby was turning out to be more art than a science and, for that, no book was a substitute.

Regina opened the passenger-side door of the Benz and placed her bag and the baby on the seat.  Slipping through the driver’s side door, she gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands and took a few minutes to close her eyes and breathe deeply.  Regina could feel herself getting overwhelmed again, and for the second time this evening; her eyes welled up with tears.  This time she just let them fall, leaning her head back against the headrest, face to the ceiling, as her chest and shoulders heaved and quivered erratically under the weight of her sobs.  Regina allowed herself the ten minutes of vulnerability she needed to be able to re-collect herself and drive safely.  As her tears began to fall less frequently, Regina leaned forward and placed her head on the steering wheel, still holding tightly with her hands as she whispered to no one,

“Oh, Emma, how could you leave me here alone?”

With that, Regina started the car and pulled out of the now-empty parking lot.

* * *

 

When Regina arrived home, it was to an empty house.  She was no longer mad at Emma.  She knew from her own experience that there were times when you simply couldn’t refuse a direct order from your superiors.  If the Chief wanted Emma there, she had to stay; she didn’t have much say or choice in the matter.

Regina had picked up carryout from the Italian restaurant that Emma had wanted to try and placed it in the refrigerator so that she would find it when she got home from work.  Regina had lost most of her appetite over the course of emotional rollercoaster that had comprised her evening, but for the sake of the babies, she ate a small bowl of fruit and some yogurt as she watched the news and a few medical documentaries on TV.  It was well after midnight when Regina rose from the couch and decided to go to bed, having already nodded off on the couch at least three times.  Her back was starting to ache and she definitely needed to lie down more comfortably.

Picking up the baby she and Emma had been assigned in class, Regina stopped at the nursery on her way to the bedroom.  She was going to lay it in the newly assembled crib until the next day when she could tell Emma about the class and show her how it worked and what to expect.  Remembering that the room was still in the state that Emma had left it the previous afternoon, she flipped on the lamp near the door, so that she could see the obstacles on the carpet.

As she lifted the baby to lay it in the crib, Regina misjudged a step and stumbled slightly to avoid a half-assembled piece of furniture.  Catching herself with one hand on the crib rail, she squeezed the baby tightly with her other hand, inadvertently pressing the pressure switch and engaging the program before laying it on the soft blankets.  Stepping to the window, Regina opened it about six inches to allow the cool breeze to blow into the room and clear some of the paint fumes.  Returning to the door, Regina grabbed the door frame and cast one last glance at the nursery over her shoulder before turning off the lamp and padding down the hallway to bed.

* * *

 

It was almost 3AM when Emma pulled into the driveway and she was exhausted.  Between starting on the nursery, working double-shifts, working on day’s off (evidently), picking up extra shifts and satisfying her wife’s seemingly insatiable need for sex, Emma was getting little to no sleep.  Not that she was complaining, she would rather Regina’s hormones be working in her favor than against her, and she was happy to accommodate whenever the need arose.

Emma was dressed in her navy blue cargo pants and white SPD t-shirt.  Her boots covered the lower cuffs of her pants but had been untied as soon as she had reached the car to give her feet some relief.  Thankfully, she kept a spare pair of work clothes in her locker at the station, because the sweats and tanks she was wearing when she left the house weren’t going to go over well with the lowlifes she had just been interrogating in the interview room.

Stepping through the door and into the mud room, Emma kicked off her boots and breathed a sigh of relief as she wiggled her toes happily.

Slipping as quietly as possible into the darkened kitchen, Emma opened the fridge to look for something to eat.  Her stomach had been growling for hours and she was ready for something other than a Coke and stale peanuts from a vending machine.  Opening the jug of milk, Emma tipped it back and took a huge gulp before replacing the lid to scavenge for more food.  A container on the top shelf with an Italian name she didn’t recognize caught her eye.  Pulling it off the shelf, she could tell it was heavy and full.  A note was attached:

**Thought you might be hungry after work.  Besos - R**

_Oh my God, you are the best Regina_ , thought Emma as she popped the lid off the container. 

Even though the pasta was cold, she could still smell the basil and tomatoes and pure goodness that was Italian food.  Emma hummed happily as she popped the dish in the microwave, barely able to wait the 3 minutes for the food to reheat.

Emma leaned against the counter as she ate, thinking about the day and feeling more than a little guilty about leaving Regina at class by herself.  She hoped the experience hadn’t been too horrible for her.  She hadn’t gotten a response to her text, but she really wasn’t expecting one.  Regina was going to be upset.  That was certainty.  There was just nothing Emma could do once the Chief made it known that he expected her to stay.

Rinsing her plate and placing it in the sink, Emma headed to the bedroom.  By the soft glow of the nightlight in the bathroom, Emma could make out the sleeping form of her wife in the bed.  Regina had kicked off all of the covers and was lying on her side, back facing Emma.  She wore a black, satin nightgown that dipped low in back, thin straps of satin criss-crossing between the edges from just above her hips to her shoulder blades.  Regina’s hand lay protectively on the side of her tummy and her silky brown hair was partially covering her face as her chest rose and fell softly and deeply at regular intervals.

_You’re even beautiful when you sleep_ , thought Emma as she eased herself gently onto the edge of the bed, so she could undress. 

Emma was in her boy shorts and sports bra debating between brushing her teeth or just crawling under the covers when she heard the first rustling sounds.  At first, she assumed her tired mind was just playing tricks on her, but then she heard it again.  Grabbing her nightstick from the space between the night stand and the bed, she rose from her seat and walked to the door where she tentatively leaned around the doorframe and peered into the dimly lit hallway. 

She heard nothing more for over a minute.  Convincing herself that it was the empty food container settling in the trash can, she had just decided to return to bed when she heard the noise again, more clearly than before.  It was coming from the nursery.

Slipping across the hall and holding the blackjack tightly, Emma kept her back tight to the wall and side-stepped to a location just outside the door frame of the nursery.  Taking a deep breath, Emma darted her head around the corner of the frame for about two seconds to assess the situation.  Leaning back against the wall, Emma breathed out slowly, closed her eyes and recalled the details.

_Partially opened window.  No signs of perpetrator.  Motion detected in the crib._

Silently, Emma groaned to herself, _a raccoon came in the window and crawled in the crib.  I HATE those things.  Mean, sneaky bastards._

Looking at her blackjack, a thought occurred to her, _maybe I can stun it and throw it out the window before it figures out what happened._

Creeping around the corner, Emma figured she had a plan, a half-assed plan, but a plan none-the-less.

* * *

 

Despite having been asleep, Regina registered the dip in the bed and a small smile touched her lips as she realized Emma was finally home.  She always felt safer when Emma was in the house.  Snuggling down a bit, she waited for her wife to slip into bed behind her.

She was a little confused when Emma rose from the bed and then moved back out in the hallway.  Rousing herself from sleep, she sat at the edge of the bed and ran a hand through her hair before padding quietly out of the bedroom to see where Emma had gone.

* * *

 

Emma had deftly weaved her way through the litany of tools and hardware and furniture in the floor and was in her final steps to the crib.  Raising her arm, Emma was about do some serious pest control when the overhead light flipped on and Regina shrieked from the doorway,

“EMMA, STOP!”

Blinded by the sudden, bright light and confused by her wife’s screaming, Emma stumbled back a step stepping directly on….a screw.

“MOTHERFUCKER!!” hollered Emma as she dropped the blackjack, opting to grab her foot and hop on the other trying to alleviate the pain.  Luckily, the screw was on its side, so it didn’t drive in, but damn, that was still going to leave a mark.  Continuing to hop randomly without looking, Emma stepped on the discarded blackjack that was now lying atop the paint tarp.  As she briefly set her weight on the stick, it rolled, kicking her remaining foot out from under her and sending her flying back toward the center of the tarp. 

Regina stood, eyes wide and hands over her mouth, watching helplessly as Emma flailed her arms and then landed hard, directly on her ass….in the overfilled paint tray.  Emma gasped and arched her back as the cold, wet paint sprayed up onto the skin of her back and shoulders and into her hair.  Jumping up, Emma stood in the middle of the tarp, her boy shorts covered in a thick layer of paint which was now dripping and sliding down her thighs and calves on all sides.  Paint ran down her back and wrapped in lines around the front of her torso and hips.  Luckily for Regina, the paint had remained on the tarp and on Emma.

Emma was beyond annoyed at this point.  She was exhausted, missed class, worked on her day off and was now covered in paint.  Unable to take any more, she unleashed her frustrations.

“Dammit, Regina, why are you screaming?  All I wanted to do was come home and sleep, but _somebody_ left the window open and I think a raccoon got in.  I was trying to get him out, but I know you scared him when you flipped on the light.  He’s probably somewhere else in the house and I am going to spend the rest of the night trying to find his furry ass before I can actually lie down and get some rest!  And why the hell is there a baby crying?”

Emma finished her tirade and looked pleadingly at Regina who was standing in the doorway with her eyebrow raised, her arms crossed over her chest.  Smirking, Regina watched Emma’s face intently waiting for her to work out her last sentence.  _Emma is going to realize what she said in 3….2….1…_

Almost immediately, the color in Emma’s face drained away and she looked at Regina in a panic, eyes wide and mouth open.  Her eyes darted from Regina’s face to her tummy and back again making sure things were as she had left them a few hours ago.  Regina couldn’t help but laugh at the child that was her wife.

Emma started towards Regina, but Regina held up a hand and stated authoritatively from the doorway,

“Emma Swan-Mills, don’t you dare take one step off that tarp.  In fact, do not even think about moving until I return and give you further instruction.  I will be right back.”

Emma huffed and grumbled as she waited for Regina to return.  She knew she had no one to blame but herself for her current predicament.  She had left the room a mess and now she was paying the price for her laziness.  Still, she knew when she left that there had most definitely NOT been a baby in there and Regina was still intact, so this part was going to need an explanation and, preferably, sooner versus later.

Regina returned to the doorway carrying with three old towels, flip-flops and various shampoos, body washes and conditioners in a shower basket.

“All of it.  Off.  Now.  Leave it in the middle of the tarp.”

Emma was still looking shocked and confused as she stripped out of her soaked shorts and sports bra.  Placing her hands on her hips, she continued looking at Regina for some kind of explanation while the baby wailed in the background.

Regina looked Emma up and down slowly.  She was starting to get very turned on watching the rivulets of paint sliding down her wife’s toned body and skin and she unconsciously licked the underside of her teeth before biting her lower lip.

“Seriously, Regina,” Emma cocked her head to the side and huffed a bit, still frustrated at her predicament, “Not now.”

Regina rolled her eyes in frustration before walking by Emma, handing her a towel and dropping her flip-flops at the side of the tarp.  Lifting the baby from the crib, Regina laid it against her shoulder and started to rock and bounce it while patting and rubbing its back gently.  As odd and confusing as the entire scene was Emma’s heart absolutely skipped a beat as she watched Regina swaying back and forth, cooing to this baby to get it to calm.  Whatever she was doing, it was working and Emma was mesmerized by the beauty of it.

Snapping back to the present, Emma wasn’t even sure where to start,

“Regina, did you get bored or something and decide to borrow somebody’s kid for practice?”

“No, Emma.  We were assigned an animatronic simulator in class today which you would have known if you had been able to attend.  I must have accidently turned it on when I almost fell into the crib earlier, after tripping on your tools.  I am guessing the rustling was it waking up, not the raccoon that you were attempting to bludgeon to death in our baby’s crib,” added Regina dryly.

“I wasn’t going to _kill_ the raccoon.  I figured I would just knock it out and throw it out the window before it came to.”

“Seriously, Emma, THAT was your plan?”

“I didn’t have a ton of time to work out the details,” offered Emma helpfully.

“You don’t say,” responded Regina with a roll of her eyes.

Over the course of the conversation, Regina had managed to quiet the crying baby and she reached to the back to turn off the pressure switch.  Sighing in relief, she laid the baby back into the crib and then shut the window, rubbing her arms as she felt the cool breeze from the outside.

“We have this child for the duration of class and I will fill you in on everything tomorrow.  It’s too late to go into details tonight, and it won’t activate again.  For now, wipe as much of the wet paint off as you can and leave the towel on the tarp.”  Pointing at the door, she finished, “Put on the flip flops and walk directly through the house and to the outside shower.  I don’t want paint all over the Master bath.”

Emma carried out the instructions carefully and stepped out of the room, stooping to pick up the shower caddy and towels as she passed.

Once Emma left, Regina carefully folded and rolled the tarp, careful to avoid a repeat of the wet paint fiasco from the previous day.  Making sure nothing was dripping, she carried it through the house and out onto the back deck where she deposited everything in the garbage can.  She could hear the deck shower running and she knew that Emma was already feeling better when she heard her humming some tune that Regina was pretty certain was going to be stuck in her head for the next few days.

Hearing Regina on the deck, Emma called out,

“Ugh.  I can’t get the paint out of my hair.”

“Good.  They can use it to color match when you go get another gallon at the hardware store,” replied Regina sarcastically while grinning.

“You know, I never realized how funny you can be at 3AM.” called out Emma in a teasing voice.

“Oh, Emma, dear, you have no idea what I am capable of at 3AM,” purred Regina in a sultry voice.

Realizing just how close her wife was, Emma turned quickly to see Regina standing naked in the doorframe of the shower.  Emma’s eyes roamed her wife’s body slowly from head to toe.  Regina’s normally dark eyes had darkened further from arousal and her pupils were wide and black.  Her red lips were slightly parted in a sexy smile that was only reserved for Emma.  Regina’s breasts were already starting to plump from her pregnancy and her nipples and surrounding skin had darkened slightly in perfect complement to her olive skin.  They stood in hard peaks and Emma could imagine the feel of them against her lips and tongue.  Regina’s tummy was slightly rounded and the very faintest traces of stretch marks were present forming tiny bumps that Emma traced with her fingertips and lips each night in bed.  A thin line of closely cropped, coarse hair was visible at the apex of her thighs, and her skin was smooth and flawless.  The curve of her hips led to tanned, smooth, toned legs and delicate feet with perfectly manicured toenails.

“Then show me,” whispered Emma sexily, offering her hand to Regina to lead her into the shower and under the thrum of the hot, soothing water that was falling.

Regina stepped in, positioning herself with her back to Emma’s front.  Relaxing against her wife, she laid her head back against Emma’s shoulder and allowed the hot water to soak her hair and skin.  Wrapping her arms around her wife, Emma bowed her head to place feather-light kisses on Regina’s shoulder, trailing her lips to the side of Regina’s neck, flicking her tongue along the skin before sucking softly on the sensitive patch below her ear.  Looking over her shoulder, Regina captured Emma’s lips with her own, parting her mouth to give her wife’s tongue entrance.  Reaching up and behind her, she tangled her fingers in Emma’s wet hair and pulled her closer, deepening their kiss.  Sliding both hands down Emma’s strong forearms, Regina entwined their fingers before laying her palms against the backs of Emma’s hands that had already started to wander over Regina’s wet skin.

As tongues explored mouths, hands slid over wet skin, brushing over the extremely sensitive skin of Regina’s breasts.  Cupping her breasts firmly, Emma pinched her wife’s nipples gently, twisting and pulling between her thumb and forefingers.  Covering Emma’s fingers with her own, Regina encouraged Emma’s ministrations and urged her fingers to pinch and play more roughly.

“So needy,” moaned Emma into Regina’s mouth before sliding their right hands down the side of Regina’s tummy, cradling underneath before slipping down further to feel the short, coarse hair beneath her fingers.  Rubbing in slow circles, their hands dipped slightly lower with each pass until Emma could feel Regina’s silky wetness coating her fingertips.  Dipping their hands one more time, Emma pressed their middle and ring fingers into warm, wet, slick folds, finding Regina’s already hard, swollen clit and earning a gasp and moan that Emma captured with an attentive mouth and tongue.  Emma pressed down on Regina’s clit as she rocked their fingers from tip to palm before sliding back and teasing the bundle of nerves with an upward stroke.  Finding a slow and steady rhythm, they teased Regina’s sensitive and responsive body together as they kissed deeply.

Breaking their kiss, Emma turned Regina to face her.  Cradling Regina’s face in her hands, she pressed their foreheads together, kissing intermittently between their panting breaths.

“Emma, I need you inside of me tonight.”

Hearing her words, Emma nodded her forehead gently against Regina’s before tilting her wife’s head back and placing open-mouthed kisses on the underside of her jaw.  Her lips brushed Regina’s ear as she whispered,

“I know exactly what you need tonight, baby.  I’ll be right back.  Miss me,” added Emma playfully.

“Always,” replied Regina as she watched Emma step from the shower.

Turning up the hot water, the shower filled with a thick steam and Regina relaxed further as the hot water played on her skin.  Emma was gone no more than 5 minutes, but it felt like an eternity.  Returning finally, Emma hung thick robes outside the door and re-entered the shower wearing the items she had retrieved from the nightstand in their room.  She stepped behind Regina, resuming the position they had assumed previously.  Regina could feel the length of the strap-on that Emma was wearing pressing and slipping against the outside of her own leg.  Reaching down, Regina trailed fingers up Emma’s thigh until she found the harness strapped tightly to her leg.  Sliding her fingers forward, she found the firm dildo.  Wrapping her hand around the thickness of the shaft, she slid her palm up its length before tracing circles on the tip with her thumb.

Nuzzling against Regina’s ear, Emma whispered,

“I think this is what you need tonight, baby.  Am I right?”

Regina closed her eyes and nodded, still massaging the tip of the dildo with her thumb. 

Leaving the water on to keep the space warm, Emma moved to sit on the bench at the back of the shower.  The thick purple dildo attached to the thigh harness pointed at the ceiling.  Emma watched Regina as she looked at the strap-on, chewing her bottom lip, eyes blown wide and darkened with lust and excitement.

Leaning forward, Emma took Regina’s hand, bringing her attention back to the present and looking deep in her eyes with a gentle smile.

“Come on, baby.  Let me take care of you.”

Stepping forward, Regina straddled Emma’s thigh.  Reaching down, she held the dildo against her and rocked her hips a few times to wet the tip before positioning it just inside her waiting entrance.  She locked her eyes with Emma’s before lowering herself slowly onto the warm, thick shaft until she had taken it to the base and her core was resting on Emma’s thigh.  Taking only a moment to adjust to the fullness and length, Regina wrapped her right arm around Emma’s shoulders while gripping her strong bicep with her other hand.  Her eyes never broke from Emma’s as she began to grind slowly against Emma’s thigh.  Emma’s hands gripped her hips tightly, helping Regina steady herself and control her movements.

“Yeah.  That’s exactly what you wanted tonight, baby, isn’t it?  You needed this nice, thick cock inside of you?”

Regina nodded as she lifted herself off Emma’s thigh, sliding to the end of the dildo before lowering herself again, circling her hips at the bottom before repeating the process and gradually speeding her movements.  Emma grabbed Regina’s chin firmly but gently between her index finger and thumb, keeping their eyes locked as Regina continued her movements.

“That’s it, baby.  Show me.  Show me how much you need this tonight.”

Regina’s lips parted slightly as she started to pant heavily.  She could see nothing but pure desire in Emma’s green eyes and she knew that she was ready and willing to do anything Regina needed tonight.  Emma’s thumb pressed firmly over Regina’s bottom lip, tugging it gently back and forth with the pressure.  God, she loved it when Emma took control like this and her talking dirty tonight was just that much more of a turn-on.  Emma knew this was one of Regina’s hot buttons and she fully intended to push it tonight.

“Tell me baby, what do you fantasize about when I am not here to take care of you?  Do you think of me fucking you?  Do you think of me teasing you?”

“Yes, Emma,” gasped out Regina.

“Do you touch yourself?”

“God, yes, baby.”

“What do you think about, my love?  Tell me…..or we stop now.”

“Please, no, baby,” Regina was pleading with Emma.  She didn’t think she would actually stop and be that cruel, but she also didn’t want to take the chance.

“Then tell me.”

Leaning forward without stopping her thrusting, Regina kissed Emma deeply before sliding her lips to Emma’s ear.  Emma could feel Regina hesitate slightly before whispering there unsure of Emma’s response.

Emma’s eyes widened briefly before her eyes fluttered closed and she expelled a ragged breath.

“Oh fuck, baby, why didn’t you tell me before?”

Regina shook her head not knowing how to respond.

“Want to try it?” breathed Emma.

Regina barely nodded her head.  Looking again into Regina’s eyes, Emma reached down between her wife’s legs, teasing her clit with three fingers, collecting the abundant wetness on the pads before turning her hand over and collecting the slick moisture on the backs as well.

Sliding her left hand from Regina’s hip, she used it to spread the globes of Regina’s firm ass while her wetted fingers found her tighter entrance.  She rubbed her fingers in slow circles, depositing the wetness there.  As she massaged, she coaxed her lover,

“Relax, baby, just relax and trust me.  I won’t hurt you.”

Emma continued until she could feel Regina’s tenseness give way slightly.  Once that happened, Emma pressed the tip of her middle finger gently and barely inside.  Regina’s eyes closed briefly and she drew a deep breath.  When she reopened her eyes, they were almost black with desire and need.  Extracting her finger, Emma circled again before pressing inside a second time, this time to the second knuckle of her finger, earning a gasp from her wife.  Emma rocked her finger in and out several time allowing Regina to get used to the sensation before holding her hand steady and allowing Regina’s movements on the cock to move her digit in and out as well.  With each thrust, Emma pressed her finger slightly harder until it was inserted to the third knuckle.

“So good, Emma,” was all Regina could managed to gasp out as she felt an incredible fullness that she had never experienced.

Leaning forward, Emma wrapped her lips around one of the hardened peaks of Regina’s breasts, sucking firmly before releasing the pressure to swirl her tongue against the rigid skin, flicking against the tip teasingly.  Occasionally, Emma would scrape her teeth against Regina’s hardened nipple, earning a throaty moan which Emma returned in kind, her lips vibrating the sensitive skin of Regina’s breasts.

Overcome with the amount of stimulation that Emma was providing, Regina’s hips were jerking and bucking hard against Emma’s thigh and her fingernails dug hard into Emma’s shoulder.  Releasing Emma’s bicep, she slammed her palm against the back wall intermittently.

“Fuck yes, Emma.  Fuck me, baby.”

Emma could tell that Regina was quickly coming completely undone from the erratic movements of her hips, her stuttered breathing and Regina’s grasping and clawing against the wood behind her head.  God, Emma loved to watch this happen.

“Show me.  Show me how you touch yourself when you lay in bed and think of me.”

Releasing Emma’s shoulders, she planted her palm on the wall to the side of Emma’s head.  Reaching down with her right hand she alternated between pinching and rolling her clit between her fingers and brushing three fingers back and forth, strumming against her rock-hard and swollen clit.  Regina’s mouth was open and she breathed in heavy gasps and pants as she looked desperately into Emma’s eyes, begging for release.

“Fuck Regina, I need you to touch me, right now.”

Taking her hand from the wall, Regina urged Emma’s right leg over with her hand, prompting Emma to spread her legs wide, giving full access to Regina’s fingers.  Pressing her fingers through damp, blonde curls, Regina slid her fingers easily through Emma’s soaked folds and began brushing her fingers over Emma’s clit just as she was her own.

“Holy fuck, Regina, I am so close, baby.  Please don’t fucking stop.  I want to come with you.”

Emma’s head was resting back against the shower wall and her chest heaved as she kept her eyes locked with Regina’s.  Regina was practically sobbing in desperation and need as her hips twitched and bucked; her fingers erratically playing between both their thighs.  Feeling herself on the edge of release and knowing Regina was already there, Emma cried out,

“OH GOD, REGINA, COME WITH ME, BABY!”

And with those words, they both crashed over the edge together...


	13. Operation Labor

**Late-August, 2015**

**_Picture (Left-Top): A tired and annoyed Emma is holding a flailing baby wrapped in a blanket against her shoulder._ **

**_Picture (Left-Bottom – Secret picture taken through window in Trauma One door): Regina furiously waves some papers at Emma who is wide-eyed with surprise._ **

**_Picture (Right-Top): Regina and Dr. Bell high-five in Trauma while Emma looks on with a scowl._ **

**_Picture (Right-Bottom): A tired, annoyed and blue-striped Emma is holding a flailing baby wrapped in a blanket against her shoulder._ **

Emma was smiling as she successfully balanced her chair back on two legs as far as possible without the assistance of her hands on the table top.  There were about 20 people stuffed into the small briefing room, carrying on conversations and waiting for the meeting to start.  She figured someone would recognize true talent when they saw it and congratulate her efforts eventually.  Not getting anything, she bounced herself down hard next to Graham.

"Any idea what's going on?"

"Nope.  All they said was that the meeting was mandatory.  Important announcements evidently."

Emma rolled her eyes.  If there was one thing she hated, it was the administrative portion of her job; paperwork, meetings, etc.  She'd rather be chasing down a dangerous criminal any day to this torture.   

"OK, people, quiet down and listen up!"

The few people that had been carrying on conversations in the room stopped immediately and turned their attention to the Chief who had made his way to the front of the room.

"Thanks to some staff and personnel changes, we are going to have to reassign schedules for the next couple weeks; at least until the new recruits come in and we can give them the shit shifts."  Everyone chuckled.  "Effective immediately, shifts will be twelve hours; seven to seven.  Each week you'll alternate between night and day shift.  Days off will remain the same.  Swan, Humbert, starting tomorrow, you'll be on nights."

Emma groaned to herself immediately as the Chief's voice droned on in the background calling out other hapless victims that would be relegated to night shift.  She was already exhausted.  For the past week, she and Regina had been trying to get through evenings and nights with the simulator.  Regina was taking this very seriously and Emma was coming along for the ride whether she liked it or not.   Emma assumed it was because of the relatively poor showings she had in the past, first at Dr. Bell's and then at the clinic, which were causing Regina to be more nervous than she probably needed to be about Emma's ability to care for an infant.  Besides, it wasn't as if this thing was real.  It was a simulator and Emma doubted that it emulated 'real life' as much as they wanted you to believe it did.  No baby could cry that damn much.

On the second night, Emma suggested shutting the program down and moving to an 'every other day'-type schedule, so they could get some decent sleep.  That suggestion had been met by 'the look' and a 30-minute lecture that seemed to focus on responsibility and being in for a big surprise in a few months.  Emma had tuned out after the first five minutes, so she wasn't quite sure if there had been more to it than that.

At least Regina hadn't abandoned Emma to her own devices.  Every time that thing started up and it was Emma's turn to deal with the situation, Regina would pull herself out of bed to offer support and advice on how to get the situation calmed back down.    Under Emma's care, things seemed to take about three times as long as they should, but Regina had been a good sport so far.  She was definitely a better sport about it than Emma was willing to be.  When it wasn't her turn to get up, Emma stayed in bed.  That usually led to all sorts of annoyed comments being dropped about interest, ambition, and spousal support along with threats of alternate sleeping arrangements, which Emma hoped included her being relegated to the garage and away from all the noise.   

At least the schedule change didn't start tonight.  She had to be at childbirth classes with Regina this evening and she didn't think she would get off the hook for a second week. 

* * *

 

They were five minutes late walking into class thanks to Emma’s insistence on stopping for a snack at the gas station.

“You know, the class is only two hours long, Emma.  I doubt you would have starved,” stated Regina as she stepped past Emma, who was in the process of opening the door to the classroom.  As the late comers started to enter, the instructor stopped talking and a hush fell over the room, so Emma’s response resounded quite clearly within the walls of the classroom,

“Awwww…come on Regina, I have to keep this body running like a well-oiled machine, so I can take care of your insatiable, sexual appetite.  It’s like I can’t keep up with you anymore, and you’re wearing me out.”

Regina paused just inside the door, mouth hung open, turning beet red as every eye turned toward she and Emma.  As she tried to regain any shred of dignity, Emma swept past cluelessly, stating,

“Hey look, there’s a mat in the back corner!  We can sit over there.”

Emma bounded happily towards the back mat, as Regina weaved more delicately through the other couples, trying very hard to avoid anyone’s eyes.    Arriving at the mat, she sat down next to Emma who was still looking around curiously at all the other couples.  Most of the men were nodding at her in reverence as if she had just won the lottery of sex.  One guy, in the back corner, even went so far as to give her two thumbs up which she returned enthusiastically, not knowing exactly why he was doing it.

“Wow, Regina, these folks seem really nice,” said Emma, FINALLY deciding to use her quiet voice.

When Nurse Belle had finished fanning herself and felt composed enough to speak, she began again,

"So, future parents, how did the last week go with your babies?"

A few murmurs arose from the participants.  Looking around, Emma noticed that no one seemed to look as tired as she and Regina did, and she had to question if maybe she and Regina....well, Regina....was taking this too seriously.  In fact, everyone else looked damn well rested as far as she was concerned. 

“Well, now that you have had a week to get used to your simulators, we are going to start collecting some data.  We’ll download everything for the next seven days while you are here next week and provide you with a summary after class.”

Emma had already spied a huge TV and DVD in the corner that looked like it was warming up, so everything Nurse French said went in one ear and out the other like an annoying background noise.  Maybe they would be watching a movie tonight.  Three hours would be cutting it kind of close for Lord of the Rings, especially if this nurse didn’t stop talking soon, but Star Wars would easily fit.  Or, maybe, they would be watching one of those videos that the guys at the station had told her about.  They said that they showed a lot of videos with naked women and stuff in these classes.  That would probably make more sense, but Emma could always hold on to hope for a Star Wars marathon.

“Well, tonight, we are going to show a video of a woman actually giving birth.  It starts with an animated simulation that walks through what is happening at each step of the process and then cuts to an actual birth.  Of course this has been edited.  The woman who agreed to be filmed was in labor for 36 hours.”

“Thank God they cut out the boring parts.  Now I wish I would have bought that bag of trail mix.  I didn’t know we were going to watch a movie, “ groaned Emma as her stomach growled.  Regina just rolled her eyes as the lights in the room dimmed.

They were only 39 seconds into the video when Emma started into her first series of whispered declarations and questions.

“That looks like a pretty tight squeeze.  How’s he gonna get outta there? Hey Regina, what’s that white stuff?  Is that the water breaking?”

Regina was trying to shush Emma, partially because the other couples were starting to get annoyed and partially because, if she would just be quiet, the video was explaining everything she wanted to know.  It wasn’t working though.  Emma simply prattled on like a child.  Following the brief introduction, Nurse Belle paused the video dramatically.

“And now, class, we are going to watch an actual birth….”

As soon as she pressed ‘Play’, the room was filled with an annoying screeching which caused Emma to jump. 

“What the hell was that?” said Emma loudly.

Emma didn’t have to wait long for an answer because in the next moment, the video caught up with the audio and pretty much everyone in the room sat in stunned silence thinking the same thing:   _that lady’s screaming because no one’s stuff should be stretched like that_. 

Regina looked around the room.  Several mouths had fallen open (and not in a good way), including Emma’s.  Of course, none of this was surprising to Regina.  An short internship in obstetrics had given her the chance to deliver a few babies, as had her work in Trauma, although that was usually under very different conditions and circumstances.  Every non-medical, spectator’s reaction was pretty similar: complete shock.   She grinned as she realized that she had finally gotten the few minutes of peace and quiet that she had wanted.  The silence continued for about another 45 minutes while the condensed version of the birth was shown from start to finish.  During that time, a few men, and women, left the room looking a little green and Regina suspected they were heading for the restroom, except for the guy in the corner.  That poor guy only made it as far as the hallway.

The remaining hour of class was supposed to be reserved for questions and answers about the film, but it ended up being more of a verbal re-enactment carried out by their own Nurse Belle, since most of the class was still in shock and unable to speak.  At the end of the class, Nurse Belle made sure to announce the next week’s topics.

“So next week, we are going to get into how you recognize that you are going into labor and what you need to be prepared for.”  Pointing a finger at a few couples to emphasize her point, she stated, “this is especially important for you, significant others, since you are going to play a BIG role during this phase; getting Mom to the hospital, timing contractions, getting Mom checked in, bringing the essentials.  There are LOTS of things you need to know!” said Nurse Bell enthusiastically.  “Oh, and we have to shift class to 6:30PM next week, because the room isn’t available till then.”

As always, Emma translated the nurse’s words into something really simple: ‘Complicated Stuff To Do’ and ‘Missing Class’ which was a welcome relief after this week’s video nightmare.

Regina drove them home in an uneasy silence.  She could tell that Emma was really thinking about something.  When they got into the driveway, she put the car in park and left it running.  Turning to Emma, Regina started,

“Emma, is something bothering you?”

Emma sighed and nodded her head slowly.

Pushing a strand of hair behind Emma’s ear, Regina asked quietly,

“What is it Emma? You can tell me anything.”

“Regina, I’m worried about your junk.”

Rolling her eyes and shaking her head in exasperation, Regina exited the car, leaving Emma sitting alone in the dark.

* * *

 

The next seven days would find Regina and Emma home at opposite times during the day and night.  Regina suggested that she and Emma leave the simulator running so Emma could try her hand at taking care of the baby without Regina by her side.  She explained that it would help Emma gain confidence if she could see that she could do this independently.  Emma was VERY reluctantly on-board with this plan.  She was working nights, which was not her usual shift, and she pretty much expected that she would already be exhausted.  Waking up every two to three hours was NOT an appealing prospect at all.   It took her no time to come up with a plan. 

Emma saw Regina to her car the next morning around 7:45AM and waved as she backed down the driveway.  Emma was holding the sleeping baby in her arms and had a huge grin on her face.  She gave Regina a thumbs up to show her that she had control of the situation before Regina turned the car and drove off in the direction of the hospital.  As soon as Regina was out of site, Emma unwrapped the baby and hit the switch, turning off the program.  

“Time for some peace and quiet and sleep,” said Emma proudly as she deposited the simulator in the nursery and crashed in the bed.

The couple hours before Regina’s arrival found Emma raiding the fridge and dancing throughout the living room with her iPod on full blast.  At the last possible moment, she retreated to the bedroom and changed into her uniform before dropping by the nursery to pick up the baby.  Hitting the switch, she prayed that everything would stay quiet until Regina arrived.  Luckily, she had no sooner thought the words that Regina arrived home. 

When Regina asked how Emma had done, she proudly stated that she thought she might be getting the hang of it.  Regina thought Emma looked surprisingly more relaxed and rested than the previous week when she had struggled so much with the simulator.  Perhaps she was getting better at this.

And so went the next six days for Emma. 

* * *

 

Regina entered the class with their simulator baby and handed it to the technician that was there to download the information.  The next two hours didn’t provide any startling new information for her, but she collected the information that Emma would need to help her through the earliest stages of the process.  Emma couldn’t join her because of the time of the class and she would work a double shift this week to get back on days.  Regina didn’t expect to see her until the following evening.

Before leaving, Regina stopped by the front of the room and collected her printed logs and the baby.  The paperwork was thick and she assumed it was due to the fact that the program had been going all day, every day for the last week.

Putting the papers in her bag, she figured she would wait until Emma was with her to look at the report.

* * *

 

Regina found herself with a few minutes between cases, so she made her way to the doctor’s lounge where she proceeded to pour herself a cup of coffee.  Too curious to wait, she retrieved the simulator activity logs that they had received the previous evening out of her bag.  She was very interested to see what kind of data these things could provide and wondered if they had other simulators that could be used for on-going Trauma Center training.  She might consider the investment if the findings were positive.  The first few pages provided a summary of the baby’s activities; average time slept, average time crying, etc.  After that, however, came the minute-by-minute account of everything that had been happening over the past week, including start and stop times for the simulator. She looked through the daily entries, fascinated that the simulators could provide this much information.    Considering the detail provided, she still felt like each day had a relatively few number of entries considering the number of hours they had left the program running which was, in essence, 24x7.  As she looked at the individual entries and flipped back and forth comparing each day against another, Regina noticed a distinct pattern.

Over the course the last week, the simulator had been turned off at approximately 7:45AM every day and then restarted each evening around 6:00PM all of which coincided very closely with Regina's leaving and returning home from work.

 _No wonder Emma looks so damn rested and I am so fucking exhausted.  She’s been turning off the simulator for the entire time that she’s been home._ It all made perfect sense.  Emma could turn off the simulator as soon as Regina pulled away from the house, because there was no way she would have left Emma with a crying baby.  She always made sure that it was in a sleep cycle when she handed it off, although, Emma didn’t seem to offer the same courtesy.  And the damn thing took a while to engage after being turned on, so Emma was already gone to work before the real fun started for the night.

Regina was furious.  Her face was red and the vein had popped pronouncedly out of her forehead (as it did when she was pissed) when Dr. Bell walked into the doctors’ lounge to get ready for the start of the next shift.

“Uh oh, I know that look, Regina.  This can't be good,” said Meghan cautiously.

“Do you know what the hell she's been doing over last week?” said Regina in a louder than normal voice as she waved the logs around in front of her.

“Who? Emma?” Meghan asked curiously, although, she knew only one person could get Regina this fired up.

“Yes, Emma,” said Regina flatly as she pursed her lips waiting for some sort of counter-response.

“No, but I can tell from the look on your face and her past history that, whatever it is, it can't be good.”

Regina proceeded to explain what she thought was happening and showed Dr. Bell the logs.

Meghan chuckled a little bit, although she really wanted to bust a gut laughing at Emma’s antics and her ability to push all of Regina’s buttons without even trying.  Not that pushing Regina’s buttons took much.  Meghan just didn’t care much for the wrath that usually accompanied the whole thing, so she steered clear of stirring Regina up.  She learned the hard way in college not to get on Regina’s bad side and prayed she’d never be the recipient of a repeat performance.

“Well, she sure can be ingenious when she wants to be, can’t she?”

Regina glared at Meghan, not finding anything funny or clever about the situation at all. 

“She and I are going to have a serious talk when I get home.”

Megan looked at Regina, then raised her eyebrow and rolled her eyes, shaking her head for good measure.

“What?” demanded Regina.

“Oh, Sweetie, I hate to break it to you, but your lectures are boring and Emma doesn't strike me as the real ‘listening type’,” Meghan made air quotes as she described Emma pretty accurately.  “Emma’s more of a woman of action.  She needs to be shown, not told something.”  Smirking cleverly at Regina, Dr. Bell finished matter-of-factly, “What she needs is a dose of her own medicine.”

Meghan stood looking at Regina for a moment, wheels turning.

“You're still having Braxton-Hicks contractions aren't you?”

“Yes.  Almost every night this past week.  They’re coming around dinner and last for about 20-30 minutes.”

“Does Emma know?”

“No, I didn't want to worry her and I knew she'd freak out before I could explain what was happening.”

“And she's due home tonight, right?”

“Yes, she just started seven days of day shift, so she worked a double.”

“Hmmmmmm, ” grinned Dr. Bell, “well this is going to work out quite nicely, because, between your Braxton-Hicks, her exhaustion and the fact that I'm working every evening this week, I think I know exactly what we're going to do.”

And with a simple plan laid out, Operation Labor started.

* * *

 

Emma came home that night thoroughly exhausted.  Not only had she been working nights, but her off-work schedule had meant that she needed to pull a double to get rolled into her day shift schedule.  She hoped the rookies would arrive soon from the Academy.  She wasn’t sure how much longer she could do this.  At least Regina was home tonight to help with the baby.

Regina was putting the finishing touches on dinner when Emma stepped into the kitchen.  It smelled heavenly and Emma’s mouth was already drooling. Lobster ravioli.  She could already imagine the taste of the sweet meat and Italian sauce that Regina made from scratch.

Regina’s nightly Braxton-Hicks contractions had started about 5 minutes ago, just as she and Meghan had hoped.  As Emma approached Regina for a kiss, Regina laid her hand on the side of her tummy and gripped the counter with her other hand, bending over slightly.

“Regina, are you OK?” asked Emma with a little concern.

“Yes, dear, I think everything’s fine,” replied Regina with a small smile.

Almost immediately following her response, Regina laid her hand on her tummy and gripped the counter again, this time; she threw in a wince for good measure.

Emma was starting to get nervous.

“Regina, it doesn’t look like everything’s OK.”

“I have been having some dull contractions all day.  I thought they had gone away, but now they are back and a little stronger and more painful.  I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Regina winced and groaned a little.  One thing was certain; she should get an Oscar for this.

“Maybe it’s just indigestion or something?” Emma offered helpfully and hopefully.

Regina reached out and grabbed Emma’s hand, holding her palm against her tummy.  Emma could feel it contracting and releasing strongly.  That, most definitely, was NOT indigestion.

“Regina, you’re not due for another, like, four months.  What’s happening?”  Emma was starting to speak very loudly at Regina, like she was hard of hearing.

“I know.  I think we may need to get to the hospital, Emma.”  This time, Regina groaned loudly like the pain was increasing.  Thank god, she had seen enough contractions and deliveries that she could reasonably emulate.

Emma was starting to get into a full-blown panic and was running her hands through her hair as she considered her next move. 

“Ok.   OK.  Hospital.  Yeah.”

Emma took off for the bedroom and Regina wondered where she went.  While she was out of the room, Regina nonchalantly texted Dr. Bell,

**How is your night going?**

**Dead slow.**

**Ready to help teach someone a lesson?**

**Oh yeah.  Everyone’s briefed and ready.  Send her to Main Hallway Desk.**

Returning to the kitchen after 5 minutes, Emma held Regina’s toothbrush in one hand and a tube of toothpaste in the other. Regina looked at her in confusion.

“I think I got everything you will need for the hospital,” said Emma nervously.

 _Great, so I will be sitting in the hospital bed naked, but at least my breath will be fresh_ , thought Regina.

“OK.  Let’s just go,” said Regina with an exasperated sigh that Emma interpreted as her expelling a painful breath.

On the way to the hospital, Emma glanced between the road and Regina nervously.  Every so often, Regina would touch her tummy and wince.  Emma was biting her fingers to the quick and thanking her lucky stars that they were only 15 minutes away.  The whole way, she mumbled,

“It’s OK.  Everything will be OK.  Everything’s alllllrrrriiiiiighhhtttt….”

Regina wasn’t sure if she was trying to console her or convince herself.

“Emma, I think it would be best if we went directly to Trauma.  We have better equipment to handle this sort of thing.  When we get there, I need you to go inside.  Go to the Main Hallway Desk and tell them what’s going on.  Tell them you are my wife and that you need some help. ”

Emma looked at Regina blankly and nodded her head, trying to remember everything she was being told.  Why did this have to happen after a double when she could barely stay awake, let alone think?

“Y-yeah. O-OK.  Ummmmmmm….yeah.”

Emma pulled up to main Trauma entrance and threw the car in ‘Park’.  When she spoke, she was using a very loud and agitated voice that caused Regina to jump slightly in her seat and look at her wide eyed.  Emma was breathing very hard, to the point of hyperventilating.

“Wait here.  They may want to bring a wheelchair-thingy or something.”  Emma wrung her hands in front of her to impress the point that Regina should NOT move from her position.

Regina sighed and rolled her eyes as she watched Emma slam her door and sprint through the Trauma Center.  She REALLY needed to start attending childbirth classes.

Running to the Main Hallway Desk as instructed, Emma was relieved to see Dr. Bell standing there reviewing charts.  Other than Dr. Bell, the hallway and desk area was oddly deserted.  She skidded to a stop in front of the desk, grabbing ahold of the countertop to prevent her sliding past because of her speed.

“Whoa there Emma!  Better slow down before you hurt yourself.  Why are you in such a hurry?” She asked as she looked nonchalantly from her files.

Dr. Bell took in Emma disheveled appearance and panicked look.  She noticed that Emma was still in her patrol uniform and must have just gotten in from work when this plan got started.

 _Impeccable timing, Regina_ , thought Dr. Bell in a very impressed way.

“Meghan, thank god you’re here,” Emma managed to pant out, trying to catch her breath after her Olympic sprint inside. 

“Are you OK, Emma?  Are you hurt?” asked Meghan, feigning concern.

“Huh? No.”

“Did you bring in a suspect that’s hurt?”

“What? No.”  Emma was starting to get agitated and wondered when they had started playing 20 questions.  She was still trying to get focused and catch her breath so she could talk in more than two- and three-word sentences.

“It’s Regina.”

“What? She chasing you?” asked Meghan with a chuckle.  “Did you piss her off again, Emma?” said Meghan with a grin.  She was stalling for time, trying to get Emma even more worked up than she was already, if that was even possible at this point.

“She’s having contractions.  She’s in the car.”

“Oh, Emma, I am sure you’re just overreacting.  Regina’s not due for at least another four months.  I am sure it’s nothing.  Maybe it’s indigestion?”

“No, her stomach, I felt it.  It’s doing something weird.”

“Maybe the babies are kicking?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Maybe the babies are repositioning?”

Emma was looking at Meghan like she had two heads.  In what alternate universe had Emma suddenly become a doctor who was qualified to diagnose her own wife’s condition?  Wasn’t this Dr. Bell’s job?

“Maybe we can just bring her in here and you can see for yourself?  How about that?” replied Emma in an annoyed tone.

“Well, as you can see, I don’t really have anyone to spare right now to help and I can’t leave the area in case they need me.  But, you’re free to take one of the chairs and bring Regina in here.” Meghan casually motioned to the row of chairs that lined the wall near the desk.  The gesture wasn’t really necessary, Emma had already spied them and was off and running.

Meghan grinned and shook her head as Emma retreated quickly back out the doors and toward the car, pushing the wheelchair before her.  She was going slightly slower because of the weight of the chair, but her speed was impressive none the less.

Arriving at the car, Emma flung open the door on Regina’s side, startling her yet again.  She had been sitting peacefully in the front seat since Emma left, eyes closed, head resting against the back of the seat, imagining what crazy conversation was taking place between Emma and Meghan.

“Regina, I need you to get out of the car and into the chair,” ordered Emma as she pointed to the seat.  Emma now seemed to be a mix of annoyed, agitated and panicked.  Regina wasn’t used to Emma talking to her like this, but, then again, Emma didn’t always manage emergencies the best either.

“Okkkkaaaayyyyy,” stated Regina watching Emma carefully because she looked like she was on the verge of attacking her.

Grabbing the inside handle of the open door and the frame, Regina started pulling herself out of the seat.  As she did so, she stopped dramatically and bent over wincing, pulling breath over clenched teeth.  That additional acting improv, Regina would soon learn, was a big mistake.  She felt Emma’s hands under her arms only an instant before she was jerked from the car and plopped, unceremoniously, into the seat of the wheelchair.  If she wasn’t in full labor now, she sure as hell might be by the time Emma was done throwing her around.  Emma kicked the car door closed with her foot as she bent over to adjust the footrests and put Regina’s feet roughly into them.

“Dammit, Emma.  Owwwww.  Stop being so rough.”

“No time, Regina.  We need to get you inside.”

With that, Emma pushed Regina quickly through the doors and over to the desk where Dr. Bell was still standing looking at records.

 _Good thing you stayed inside in case there was an emergency.  Not like I needed any help or anything_ , thought Emma.  The hallway and desk area now had a few more doctors and nurses around.  Maybe now Emma could get things moving a little faster.

A kindly, old administrator with very thick glasses greeted Emma as she approached, wild-eyed and huffing.

“Well, hello dear, how can I help you today?”

“My wife’s having contractions and she still has four months before the babies are due.”

“Well, I am sure she’s going to be just fine.  We’ll take good care of her,” continued the woman in a drawl that seemed to require two times as long to finish a sentence.  She patted Emma’s hand and gave her a smile.

“Now, tell me, what’s your wife’s name?”

Regina was sitting in the chair behind her and everyone knew her.  How did this lady not recognize her own boss?  She wasn’t new; Emma had seen her in here before.

“Name?” was repeated again.

“Regina Swan-Mills.”

“Can you spell that dear?”

 _Are you kidding me? Two of the most simple names in the world and I have to spell them out?_ Emma half-smiled, half-winced at the lady as she began.  She just wanted Regina in a room, so they could figure out what was wrong.

“R-E-G-I-N-A space S-W-A-N Hyphen M-I-L-L-S”

 _Holy shit, a glacier could consume the United States before this woman finishes typing_.  Emma drummed her fingers on the desk impatiently.  Emma was so intent on staring at the woman that she missed the looks that Dr. Bell and Regina were throwing each other.  Meghan was finding it hard to keep her laughter contained.

“OK,” asked the older lady as she turned the monitor towards Emma.  “Can you verify that I got the spelling correct?”

Emma looked at the screen and her mouth fell open. 

“Who the hell is ‘Renga Swern-Meld’?” yelled Emma in a loud voice.

Emma was unaware that Regina had lifted from the chair and was now standing directly behind her.  Emma was grabbing fistfuls of hair in an effort to keep herself calm and prevent her taking out her frustrations on the older woman before her. 

As Emma opened her mouth to unleash, someone grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and started pulling her down the hall.  She looked around trying to figure out what was happening when she realized that it was Regina, and she looked pissed.

As Regina pulled Emma down the hall, her wife stumbling along behind her, Regina called out over her shoulder,

“Dr. Bell, open room?”

“Trauma One.”

Regina pushed open the door to Trauma One forcefully, dragging Emma through with her.  Almost immediately, every staff member in the Center rushed for the door, jockeying for space so they could hear the conversation that was about to take place.

Emma spun towards Regina as her collar was released.  Her chest was heaving from her previous frustration and current surprise and she looked at Regina completely confused.

“Regina, what the….” Emma was cutoff immediately by Regina.

“Would you like to tell me what's been going on at home over the past week?”

“Regina, what are you talking about?” Emma looked at Regina confused.

Regina walked over to the counter, where she grabbed the logs that she had left with Meghan earlier.  Picking them up, she waved them at Emma.

“Do you know what these are, Emma?”

“No,” Emma shook her head with her brow furrowed.    

“Well, dear, these are the detailed logs from the simulator that we have been taking care of over the last week.”  Regina started flipping through the pages, “They show all kinds of stuff, “Regina paused as she looked directly into Emma’s eyes, “like start and stop times for the program.”

Emma gulped as her eyes went wide.  _Oh fuck…._

“Well, well, isn’t this interesting….Program deactivated: 7:45AM, Program Reactivated: 6PM….Every.  Day.  For.  One.  Week.   I have to say, you are quite the clever girl, Emma. ”

Emma’s mouth was gaping open and closed like a fish.  She was busted, and she knew Regina was just getting warmed up.

“I was trying to share responsibility with you, Emma.  I wanted to show you that you weren’t the only person making sacrifices during your off-hours, so I would leave the program on all night while you were at work.  I woke up by myself, soothed the baby by myself.  I went to work exhausted, every day, worried that you were doing the same, only to find out that THIS is what you have been doing.  Well, I hope you’re all caught up on your sleep now and that you are very well rested, because you’re gonna need it.”

Emma opened her mouth to say something when Regina held up her open palm to stop her.

“I am going to make this very simple, Emma.  You are back on day shift, correct?”

Emma nodded.

“Well then, when we get back home, we are going to turn on the program.  It is going to be on every minute that you are in that house, whether you are awake or asleep, and, so help me God, Emma, if that baby even looks at you or me cross-eyed, you WILL get up and take care of it.  BY YOURSELF.  I WILL NOT provide any assistance.  I don’t care how bad things are going or how tired you are.  Congratulations, Emma.  You brought this on yourself.  I hope you’re ready,” finished Regina with a glare, arms crossed over her chest.

Emma’s eyes were wide with fear.

Without waiting for a response, Regina turned on her heel and started towards the door.

“Wait, what about your contractions?”

“Oh, don’t worry dear.  They’re Braxton-Hicks.  They’re perfectly harmless, but you would know that if you ever bothered to listen to me, or in class.”

With that, Regina pushed back out the Trauma One door.  The staff didn’t even try to make a getaway, instead they just parted in reverence as Regina lifted her chin, lips pursed in indignation, and walked between them to get back out to the car.  Emma came out only a few moments later, tail between her legs, trailing at a safe distance behind her wife.   As Regina and Emma exited the Trauma Center, laughter erupted behind them and high-fives were exchanged.  One thing was sure; their Chief had some serious stones.

* * *

 

Emma was on her third night of heavily, interrupted sleep.  At least, she thought it was the third.  At this point, days and nights were just running together and she felt like she had been up for 72 hours straight.  She was lucky if she was getting 15 minutes of rest between cry cycles and she was on the verge of ripping her hair out.  She thought about asking Regina for help, but she knew that would be like trying to reason with a Grizzly Bear.  More often than not, the simulator just self-soothed itself back to sleep versus Emma doing anything that could remotely be construed as help. 

This time, like every other time, Emma bounced the simulator in her arms, making shushing noises at it, patting its back and rocking it, trying to find something that would work.  Maybe, if she could just make it through the week, she could convince Regina to help her out just a little.  It was doubtful that she was going to make it through the week, though, at least not without going bat-shit insane.

Emma looked at her watch.  Forty-five minutes elapsed, and this thing was showing no signs of letting up.  It was wailing and flailing as much as ever.

_This is such bullshit.  Regina could get this done in one quarter of the time and she knows it.  Instead, she lets me sit here and deal with this alone, knowing it is going to take me forever.  In three days, I have probably been up more than she was for the entire week.   It’s not like I don’t have a job too. It’s not like I can go in to work exhausted either.   She probably had them modify the program so it wouldn’t shut off for me or something.  There is no way this is natural.  I know she is just trying to teach me a lesson._

If there was one thing that Emma could do well, it was scheme and come up with crazy plans, and she was already working on her next one.

_OK, she obviously knows from the logs if I touch the on-off switch, but if I remove the battery pack for a while, it will stop crying AND it won’t be able to record.  She’ll think I am a genius for getting the thing to sleep and I’ll get some peace and quiet.  I can always wake up early and pop the battery back in before Regina gets up and she’ll never know the difference.  If someone asks, there had to be some kind of malfunction or something. I know I saw some sort of screw-on door on the back.  I bet that’s where the battery is…_

* * *

 

Regina had been lying in bed awake for as long as Emma had been awake.  It was kind of hard to sleep with the continual crying and she felt a little sorry for Emma.  Emma hadn’t been lying.  She really didn’t know what she was doing when it came to kids.  Regina was working out how long she was going to allow this ‘lesson’ to continue when she noticed that the house had become very quiet and she heard the outside door click closed quietly.  Getting the bad feeling that Emma was up to something, Regina crawled out of bed to follow.

Opening the outside door, Regina noticed that the side door to the garage was open and the light was on.  She could hear the simulator from across the driveway.  Damn, that thing really was loud and persistent.

Stepping to the garage door, Regina peeked inside.  She could see that Emma had a screw driver in her hand and was already in the process of opening the battery compartment in back, which was proving to be trickier than expected given the fact that the thing was wriggling all over the place.

Folding her arms over her chest, Regina stepped fully into the garage.

“And what exactly do you think you're doing?”

Emma jumped slightly at the intrusion, but went back to her work without looking up.

“I’m taking care of the problem, since you won't help me.”

“You lost my help, because you decided to play games and not take this seriously.  Perhaps, if you would attend class or listen in class or listen to me, you would learn some proper techniques.  Better yet, maybe if you would have practiced, instead of turning the simulator off in favor of uninterrupted sleep, you wouldn’t be in this position right now and I might be willing to help you.”

“Uh huh,” was the only reply offered by Emma effectively indicating that she wasn’t really listening to a word Regina was saying.  Instead, she remained engrossed in her current task.  She’d had enough of this tough love bullshit to last a lifetime.

“Emma, I would seriously think about what you are about to do.”

Regina had done some research on these simulators over the past few days, since she was strongly considering investing in some for her department.  The electronics contained were state-of-the-art and made up about 90% of the cost.  There was a sequence of steps that had to be done to open the simulator for maintenance and disengage the fail-safes that had been included to prevent someone stealing the $1000 battery or $2000 data recorder.  She was pretty sure that Emma had taken none of these steps.

“I know exactly what I am about to do.  I am going to get some damn sleep.”

“No, I don't think you do know,” mumbled Regina as the screw released and Emma pulled the battery cover.

* * *

 

Emma sat in the garage; her face, hands, arms and shirt were covered with long streaks of bright blue dye.  The simulator was covered in dye too and lay silent in her hands.

“Who the hell puts an industrial-strength, dye pack in the back of a simulated baby?” raged Emma.

“Someone trying to protect their investment and prevent theft,” replied Regina coolly from the doorway. “Looks like it worked pretty well.”

“How am I supposed to get this off now?”

“You shower.  That will get some of it.  The rest will wear off in time.  Oh, and Emma, you better not get any of that dye in the house,” stated Regina as she turned and went back inside to bed.

* * *

 

On the day of class, Emma approached the table where the technician sat collecting the simulators.  Her head was hung down and she avoided his eyes as she handed over the broken, blue-spotted and blue-streaked simulator.   The coloring on Emma’s face, arms and hands had faded somewhat, but a person could still tell that, whatever happened to her, happened to the simulator or vice versa. 

Regina stood beside Emma, eyebrow raised, watching the events unfolding.  The Tech was shocked, to say the least, and took the simulator from Emma’s hands like it was a rattlesnake waiting to strike.  In return, he offered Emma a brand new simulator which she took reluctantly.  Regina heard a slight groan accompany the exchange.

“Dr. Mills,” said Nurse French as she approached the pair.  She did a slight double-take at Emma’s blue stripes, despite the fact that she already knew the entire back story.  “Here is the paper you asked for.”

“Thank you Nurse French.”

Emma turned to face Regina.

“And this is for you, “said Regina as she handed the piece of paper over to Emma.

“What’s this?”

“Documentation related to the reimbursement of $3500 to Storybrooke Medical for the broken simulator.”

“THIRTY-FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!  Where am I going to get $3500, Regina?”

“Oh, don’t worry dear, it’s already paid.”

“Whew….” Emma let out a sigh of relief.

“That being said….you owe ME now….and you WILL work off this debt somehow….” smirked Regina.

“What did you have in mind?” Emma asked skeptically as she furrowed her brow,

“Oh, I’m sure we can figure out something, dear,” and with a wink and a sexy smile, Regina retreated to the classroom for the evening.


	14. Please, Not Yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are now past the original date when Regina and Emma sat to look at the album.... there are no more pictures...yet.....

**November 30, 2015**

Regina was having a horrible night's sleep.  Emma was working the night shift and the pressure in her lower right side that had started earlier that evening had slowly progressed into a throbbing ache interspersed with an occasional sharp pain that was causing her to wince every so often and draw breath through gritted teeth.  She wasn't necessarily concerned.  Last time this happened, she was at the Trauma Center, so she made a quick trip up to the OB Department and asked a professional favor from one of the attending physicians to confirm that, indeed, it was nothing more serious than one of the babies being turned in an awkward position.  After a few checks, he assured her that it was nothing to be alarmed by, so she automatically figured that this time, too, someone had simply jammed a foot into an uncomfortable spot right above her hip and she was just going to have to wait it out until they tired of their current position.  

Since she was already awake, she decided to get up.  Some walking might help and she needed to make a trip to the bathroom anyways.  Pulling herself out of bed, she stepped slowly to the bathroom.  The nightlight provided enough illumination so that she could see without turning on the main switch.  She reached out to the edge of the counter as one of the sharp pains hit, grasping the edge with white knuckles.  She reached her fingertips under her swollen belly and began massaging softly on the lower right side hoping she could gently prompt one of the little ones to change positions.  Almost as quickly as the sharp pain had hit, it was relieved along with the persistent, throbbing ache.  It was one of the first times that evening that Regina had experienced some real comfort and she closed her eyes while exhaling a deep breath and a whispered 'thank you'.  Her relief was short lived though as her brow furrowed in confusion.  There was warmth passing down her legs and her woolen socks and feet felt wet.  Opening her eyes, she looked down at the floor.  It was hard to see with the little bit of light, but she thought she caught a shimmer from the floor.  Reaching over, she flipped the light switch over the vanity.  As her eyes adjusted to the harsh light, she saw the mix of yellowish and reddish fluid on the floor.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no.  Please no, not yet."

When the doctors had confirmed the pregnancy, Emma had insisted on installing a cordless phone in each of their most frequently used rooms.  Regina joked that you couldn't swing a stick without hitting a receiver and insisted that Emma was being overly cautious. Now, she chided herself for giving Emma such a hard time.  With a visibly shaking hand, she reached for the unit atop the bathroom vanity.  Taking a deep breath so that she could allow herself to focus, Regina dialed her wife's number.

"Pick up, Emma.  Please pick up." Regina repeated nervously as the phone continued to ring.  Eventually, the familiar sound of Emma's voice mail reached her ears and she took a last, calming breath before leaving a short message and hanging up the phone.  She didn't have a choice at this point, dialing again, she heard:

"911 - What's the nature of your emergency?"

* * *

 

"Look, I don't care if this IS the 'party of the century'", huffed Emma while making air quotes, "you can't have this many cars on the street.  You are blocking traffic and the neighbors are lodging complaints."

Emma was currently standing outside the door of one of the larger residences in the town engaged in a conversation with a 20-something year old male that reeked of booze and pot and was just far enough gone to decide that cockiness and charm would be the best approach to dealing with the situation.  As he leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest, he slowly looked Emma up and down with a smirk. 

Emma knew this tactic well and it had tried more than once on her, always with no success.  Regardless, she would use it to her advantage. Emma stepped forward to invade his personal space and his smile grew bigger. She lowered her voice huskily while she looked him in the eye, a cocky grin playing on her lips.

"I have a proposition for you."

"Yeah?"  He said, leaning in close and his voice lowering slightly.  "What did you have in mind beautiful?"

"I am going to drive away for 30 minutes and YOU are going to figure out how to get every one of these cars off this street during that time.   When I return, the street had better be cleared.  If it isn't, then I am going to haul you and all of your little friends in here down to the station and charge you with possession and underage drinking.  I will also be calling your parents, who I happen to know personally, to discuss what exactly has been going on here this evening.  But I am sure they know all about this party already and are completely OK with it right? Considering it is the ‘party of the century’….”

His eyes widened slightly and Emma saw a flash of panic before he regained composure and reached out to run a hand up and down the arm of her Police jacket.

"Come on officer, can't you and I come to a little agreement?"

 _Why the hell do they all think that I want to have sex with them as an alternative to a ticket?_ pondered Emma since this was about the 20 th time she had been propositioned over the course of her career.

"Yes, I agree to drop the now, newly added, sexual assault charges, if you turn around and start enacting this plan immediately.  Oh, and make sure the valets are capable of driving or we will add DUI to this shit show."

Turning sharply, Emma stepped off the front porch and strode towards the patrol car.  As she approached the open window on the passenger side she was scribbling in her notepad, so she only caught the last words of the dispatcher.

"...to 108 Mifflin Street"

Emma's head snapped up and she lunged into the open window, grabbing the mic from the cradle.

"Dispatch...Charlie 1...Repeat last..."

"Charlie 1....Request bus dispatch to 108 Mifflin Street"

Emma's mouth went dry and her heart started pounding. 

"Dispatch...Charlie 1...what's the bus ETA to Mifflin?"

"Charlie 1....Five out to Mifflin with fast turn expected"

 _Fast turn?_ That meant the patient needed facility treatment quickly; treatment that couldn't be provided on site or in the confines of the ambulance.  Emma's stomach lurched and the bile rose in her throat.  What the hell was going on?  Emma sprinted around the front of the car and jumped in the driver's seat.  She weaved slowly through the swarm of cars on the street. 

"I am so arresting your ass when I get back here" she said aloud to no one as she was slowed to what felt like a crawl for the next 5 minutes.  When she passed the last car and turned onto the main road, she pressed the pedal to the floor and hit the lights and siren.

"Dispatch...Charlie 1....what's status of dispatch to Mifflin?"

"Charlie 1....Loaded and en route to hospital...ETA 10 minutes"

"Dispatch.....Charlie 1....en route to intercept and provide escort.  Notify bus."

"Charlie 1...Roger that"

Flipping the wheel hard right, Emma fish-tailed the car onto the next cross street and prayed that she would make it to the main road in time.

As she came up on the intersection, she could see the ambulance approaching, still a block away.   Emma swung the cruiser into the intersection and accelerated to a few miles per hour faster than the ambulance.  Positioning her cruiser directly in front of the ambulance, Emma escorted it to the ER entrance before parking the car at the end of the ramp and running to the back of the bus.

Staff was already on standby at the entrance, including Dr. Whale, Regina's obstetrician.  When Emma rounded the corner at the end of the ambulance, the gurney was being lowered and a multitude of orders and updates were being barked between the staff and paramedics.   Emma was staring open-mouthed at her wife who was looking from person to person in a panic while hyperventilating into an oxygen mask. Regina's arm was wrapped in a pressure cuff that was contracting and releasing on a regular basis and monitors were already attached to her fingers to monitor heart rate, blood oxygen levels and other vitals.  IV ports were already started in her hand and further up her arm.  Around Regina’s stomach was a belt that was providing data on the vitals of their children.

Emma tried to zero in on a conversation that was going to provide her with the most information as quickly as possible looking around all the while to prevent being in the way of one of the care givers.  It was becoming nearly impossible with the number of bodies moving around.

" Eight months….Complete loss of amniotic fluids....slight hemorrhaging....fetal heart rate declining....patient heart rate and BP elevated....OR and trauma team on standby for emergency C-section.... "

As the paramedics dropped back to allow the hospital staff to take over, the crowd thinned enough for Emma to grab the rail of the bed and jog along with everyone.  She was directly across the bed from Dr. Whale who was leaned down over Regina.  He had managed to capture her attention although she was still breathing rapidly and heavily and her eyes were blown wide with panic.  Emma was looking from her face to Whale's.  He spoke in a calm but authoritative tone.

"Regina, I need you to focus and try to take deep, slow breaths.  You're here now and we are going to take good care of you.  The babies are stable but we can't take the risk of waiting to induce.  We are going to have to do an emergency C-section.  Once we are in the OR, I can have them out in under 30 seconds if needed.   You are going to be fine and so are they.  Emma's here."

Regina continued to look at Whale as if he was speaking a foreign language, trying to piece together everything he just said to her.  Briefly, Dr. Whale looked up at the nurse to Emma's left and flicked his eyes to the side.  Without skipping a beat, the nurse switched places with Emma and nudged her closer up towards Regina's head.  She had already lowered the rail, so that Emma could lean over close.

Emma placed her hand gently on top of Regina’s head and rubbed her thumb in gentle circles on her forehead.  Leaning down, she pressed her own forehead to Regina’s temple so that her lips were close to Regina’s ear. Her other hand held Regina’s and her thumb traced soothing circles careful to avoid the monitors and IVs.

"Hey you.”  Emma whispered softly to her wife. “I am right here and am going to stay right here.  I am not going anywhere.  Whale has everything under control and it won’t be long before you’re holding our two, beautiful babies.”

Emma could feel that Regina’s breathing had calmed some and there were tears falling from the corners of her eyes into her hair on each side.  Her breath fogged the respirator mask as she choked out a whisper.

“Emma, I am so sorry.  I don’t know what happened…”

“Hey, shhhhhh.  There is nothing to be sorry about.  I tell them all the time how great you are.  I just don’t think they wanted to wait another month to meet their incredible mom.”

The stretcher slowed as they approached the OR doors.  As the nurses continued ahead to start the work to prep Regina for surgery, Whale grabbed Emma by the arm and held her back.  For a minute Emma panicked that the promise she had just made to her wife about being with her wasn’t going to happen.  As she opened her mouth to protest, Whale placed a gown in her hands. 

“Better get scrubbed up.  In less than a half hour, you’re going to be a Mom.”

He winked and he turned to attend to his own prep leaving Emma with an attendant who would show her to the locker-changing rooms.  Emma gulped as the full force of his words hit her.  Emma Swan was going to be a Mom.  Emma Swan was going to be responsible for two small children.  Emma Swan was in deep shit.

As Emma removed her utility belt to place it in the locker, she gathered her thoughts enough to radio the dispatcher at the station.

“Dispatch….Charlie 1…requesting radio silent for remainder of shift.”

“Charlie 1…Do you require assistance?”

“Dispatch…Charlie 1…Negative.  Bus from Mifflin was my wife.  I guess we are about to be parents.”

An awkward pause followed before the radio crackled back to life.

“Charlie 1…Stop stalling and go take care of your wife.  Radio Silent confirmed.”

Before Emma turned off the radio and placed it in the locker, she heard one final call.

“Dispatch to all units…be advised that Officer Swan is about to be a Mom…god help us all…”

Emma’s grin was huge…

* * *

Within ten minutes of arriving at the hospital, Emma was already being led into the OR room where Regina was being prepped.  Emma felt awkward wearing the gown that she had been given and wondered if Regina had to sometimes wear this outfit during her work day as well.  _How the hell did she move in this get up?_   Emma had about as much mobility as someone slogging through mud.   And don’t get her started on the ridiculous hairnet.  There is NO WAY Regina wore this hat, or whatever the hell they referred to it as.  She was completely convinced that someone had to be taking her picture and posing it on Instagram as they laughed their full ass off.

The attendant directed Emma to a stool at the head of the bed where Regina lay.   Regina’s oxygen mask had been removed and a smaller tube had been placed under her nose and draped up over her ears.  She wore a cap similar to Emma’s where the nurses had tucked her hair.  Most of her monitors and IVs remained attached to her fingers and arms.  Every so often, a nurse would come by and place a hand on Regina’s shoulder asking if she was comfortable or if she needed anything, assuring her that they would get started soon and everything would be OK.

Regina seemed to have calmed considerably and Emma was thankful that she seemed to be resting more comfortably.  Emma used her feet to roll the stool closer to the bed.  Regina was lying with her eyes closed.  Gently she reached out to stroke the back of her fingers down Regina’s temple and cheek.

“Hey, beautiful.”

Regina’s eyes opened and she turned her head to look at Emma as she spoke in a low whisper.

“Emma, how did you know I was here?”

“I heard the call on the scanner and, well, I kind of recognized the address.  I intercepted the ambulance and provided the escort in.  I had to make sure you were OK.”

Emma’s green eyes were locked on her wife’s brown eyes.  They both saw fear and uncertainty.

“I was scared, Regina.”

“I still am, Emma.  What if the babies don’t make it?”

Emma placed her forefinger on Regina’s lips to quiet her.

“You won’t let that happen, Regina.  You’re too strong.  Our babies are strong too.”

And Emma leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on her wife’s lips.

“Dr. Mills, we need to insert the epidural.  We are going to roll you onto your side and need you to lift your knees and duck your upper body down.  Basically, try to curl yourself into a ball as much as you can.  It will help.”

The nurses helped roll Regina toward Emma and Emma leaned over to place her left arm around Regina’s shoulders as her other hand reached down to grasp Regina’s two hands in her own.

“You will feel a little bit of cold from the antiseptic, then a sting as we numb the area, then we will insert the catheter.  Try to breathe deeply and evenly and try to hold still.  We will tell you when we are done and help situate you back on the bed.”

Emma held tight to Regina’s hands and felt her wife tighten her grip strongly and whimper as each needle was inserted.  Emma’s lips were buried in Regina’s hair and she would place gentle kisses on her head after each step was performed and she felt Regina’s hands relax.

 “Dr. Mills, the epidural is in place.  Let’s get you rolled back.”

Between the nurses and Emma they repositioned Regina on her back carefully.  Emma could see the tracks of the tears that Regina had just cried on her cheeks. 

“You did great baby.  I am so proud of you.”

Regina was barely back in position and a curtain draped across her center to shield she and Emma from the particulars of the procedure when Whale entered the room.

“Regina, we are going to push the epidural now.  From this point forward, you won’t feel anything but occasional pressure from your lower chest to your toes.  You will be awake for the procedure and will have use of your arms and upper body.  We want to make sure you can hold those beautiful babies once they arrive.  Are you ready then?”

Regina turned her head to look at Emma and Emma looked back at her with a gentle smile.

“Yes.  I’m ready.”

Whale nodded his head and the nurse started to push the meds into the catheter.

“You’re doing great, Regina.  You should start feeling the effects almost immediately.”

Up to this point, Regina had been able to pinpoint the exact location of each of Dr. Whale’s prods to her stomach.  As the seconds passed, however, specific touches turned into general pressures and Regina could no longer distinguish where his fingers or hands were on her abdomen.  So intently was she concentrating on the change in her sensitivity that she didn’t notice that Emma had placed her forehead against her temple so she could talk in her ear.

“You OK?”

Regina nodded slowly.  With that, Dr. Whale announced to the room.

“I think we can start now.”

Regina could feel Whale’s hand drag across the lower part of her abdomen just above her pubic bone.  Within a few seconds, Regina felt a release of some of the pressure in her abdomen.  The room was quiet as Regina and Emma heard the sharp sound of suctioning.  The silence was broken by a strong wail and then a hiccupping cry.

Regina started to cry softly and turned to look at Emma who looked like she had seen a ghost as she sat stock still with her mouth gaping open.  Regina started to worry that Emma was going to pass out before everything was done.

“That, Regina and Emma, is your son.  We are going to cut the cord and get him cleaned up.”

Within 30 seconds, Regina felt the relief of the remaining pressure being removed from her abdomen.

Again, they heard the sharp sound of suctioning followed by….silence.

Both Regina and Emma held their breaths and Emma refused to look at Regina for fear that she would see the concern in her eyes.  Panic started to grip both women as they listened for the cry that wasn’t coming.  They heard Whale’s voice across the curtain.

“Come on little one.  Let’s show your brother that you’re as strong as your two Moms put together.”

And with a small thump on the back, another wail filled the room, joining the first.

Emma expelled a long breath that she had been holding for what felt like minutes and she turned to face Regina who had clapped her hands over her mouth and was sobbing heavily as she listened to the beautiful sound of their babies’ cries for the first time.  Aside from Emma’s laugh, she couldn’t think of a more melodious sound in the entire world.

“And THAT would be your daughter.  We are going to cut this cord and clean her up as well, and then we will bring them both for you to hold while we get you buttoned up.”

It took only a few minutes before each had been wiped off, wrapped in small blankets and fitted with a small beanie placed on their heads for warmth. As the nurse came from behind the small curtain, Regina and Emma caught the first glimpse of their son.

“Dr. Mills, would you like to hold your son?”

Regina smiled a beautiful smile and nodded.  The nurse placed him tummy down on the top of her chest so that his cap nuzzled right under her chin.  Wrapping one arm around him, she kissed the top of his head softly and placed one of her fingers in his tiny palm feeling him grip her digit as tightly as he could.

“Well, hello, little one,” said Regina softly to him, “You and your sister managed to give me quite a scare today.”

Lifting her index finger with his hand still tightly snugged around it, she gently brushed the end of his nose.  His response was a huge yawn from a tiny mouth.  He began to purse and relax his lips in rhythm, moving his jaw to suck as his eyes closed and he slumbered on Regina’s chest, rooting or grasping at her gown every so often with small hands.

Eventually, she let him pull her fingertip into his mouth and she rubbed his back gently.  She cradled his head and looked down every so often to place a soft kiss atop his beanie.

Emma was fascinated and mesmerized by the scene before her.  She had yet to see anything so incredible or natural in her life.  When she had pictured Regina as a mother, never in her wildest dreams had she pictured something quite this beautiful.  She couldn’t believe how quickly they were bonding and how comforted he was just laying on Regina’s chest, surrounded by her arms and her familiar smell.  Regina looked over to see her wife staring at them with a slightly open mouth.  Regina flashed another brilliant smile and ducked her head to catch Emma’s eyes.  Her green eyes were filled with wonder and awe.  She stared at Regina, but her gaze seemed unfocused.  Regina talked softly so as not to startle her,

“Hey, where did you go?”

Emma blinked slowly and looked fully into Regina’s eyes, furrowing her brow as she searched for a response.  Emma was never one for eloquent words and they most certainly weren’t coming to her now.  Her mouth gaped as she tried to describe the incredible sight she was witnessing.  Luckily, she got a reprieve as the nurse stepped from behind the curtain with another bundle.  Or at least she thought she was getting a reprieve…..

“Sorry for the delay.  She’s a little fussy.  I don’t think she was quite ready for the blast of cold a few minutes ago.  We snugged her up in a nice warm blanket though, and since Mom has her brother, how about her other mother hold this little one?”

Regina was still looking at Emma when she saw her eyes go comically wide in panic.  Emma had never really gotten into too much detail with this part of the whole birth/motherhood daydream she had created, but she knew that it generally involved Regina holding their children at the hospital and her pretty much being a spectator to the entire affair.  She never imagined that the second time she ever held a real baby would be in public, where her complete ineptness with children would be on full display.  The simulator debacle had pretty much sealed the deal of NO ONE wanting to ‘loan’ their child to them for additional practice.  Emma looked like she was about two seconds away from a full-on sprint from the Operating Room when Regina laid her hand on her arm.

“Emma?”

Emma looked at her quietly, unsure what to do.

“Emma, it’s OK.  Do you remember what we practiced?”

Emma nodded before taking about three, deep, cleansing breaths.  Turning to the nurse, she held out her arms exactly as Regina had shown her.  The nurse settled the baby girl in Emma’s arms, helping her adjust her grip so she could provide the support that her newborn daughter would need.  The little girl fussed for only a moment before settling into Emma’s arms and nuzzling her face deeply into Emma’s chest as she clenched her hands into little fists which rested against her cheeks.  Emma felt her heart melt as she looked at her daughter who was not crying. 

Emma half chuckled, half sobbed as she leaned in to kiss her daughter on the cheek.  Turning her head towards Regina, Emma rubbed her cheek softly on her daughter’s forehead while she smiled a huge smile that was eagerly returned by her wife.  Regina mouthed,

“See, she knows her Momma.”

It was only a few minutes before the nurse returned.

“Moms, I was wondering if you had names picked out that we can put on the certificates.”

Regina spoke first,

“Henry Edward Swan-Mills”

“And for your daughter?”

Regina looked at Emma, unsure of what to expect.  They had talked about a number of names, but had never really found a combination of first and middle names that made sense.  They always said they would figure it out once they saw her, so she wondered what Emma might say.

Emma looked to Regina and down to the little girl that lay in her arms.  Without any hesitation, she spoke the name, whose sound she knew would always be perfect to her ears,

“Ava Regina Swan-Mills”

And it was exactly that to Regina also…..perfect.

* * *

“All right, Regina, all buttoned up,” declared Dr. Whale from behind the curtain. 

Both Emma and Regina were so busy marveling at their new babies that it barely registered that he had spoken.

“The procedure is complete and your room is ready.  We are going to get you into a clean gown and onto a clean bed and then take you there.  The nurses will hold the babies while we get you prepped and moved, but, don’t worry, your little ones will be along very quickly.  There are two cribs in the room so they can stay right by you throughout the duration of your stay.”

Two nurses approached to take the babies and Emma was about to hand over Ava when she remembered the phone in her pocket. 

“Hang on.”

Balancing Ava very carefully, she weaved her hand through her gown and pulled her phone from her pants.  She looked to Regina for approval, and Regina nodded eagerly.  Emma put the phone in camera mode.

“Would you take our picture?” she asked the nurse who smiled back at her and agreed.

Rolling her stool to the side of the bed, Emma held up Ava, so that her cheek touched Henry’s while Emma touched her cheek to Regina’s. 

“This one’s for the album, Munchkins.  Say cheese!”  Regina and Emma smiled brilliantly for the camera in their surgical caps and gowns while their two, newborn babies slumbered contentedly in their arms.

* * *

 

Regina and Emma were talking quietly when the nurse entered the room.

“Dr. Mills, are you ready to try feeding your babies?  I am sure there are some little ones here that are getting hungry.”

Regina smiled gently and nodded.  She raised the head of the bed slightly and winced a little as she pushed herself up into more of a sitting position.  Emma adjusted some of the pillows at her back so she was more comfortable.  Once she was situated, the nurse handed her a pillow that she gathered in her right arm and settled on her tummy just below the line of her breast.

“How about we start with you, little man, since you seem to already be awake.” 

The nurse lifted Henry from his crib and walked him over to Regina, helping her to settle him on the pillow.  Her forearm supported the length of his back through the cushion while her splayed fingers offered support for his head.

“Do you need help getting started?”

Regina shook her head.

“Well, if you need any help, just press the call button,” said the nurse as she patted Regina gently on the shoulder and then walked out of the door.

Regina looked at Henry’s face and then at Emma.  She patted the bed beside her, inviting Emma to lie down.  Emma crawled into the bed and lay on her side facing Regina, her head on the pillow and her cheek resting on Regina’s shoulder so that she could see Henry.

Regina used her left hand to unsnap a discreet panel at the front of her gown, exposing her left breast.  Taking her breast in her hand, she used her other arm to lift Henry.  She brushed her nipple gently against his lips and he reflexively and instinctively opened his mouth, bobbing his head slightly trying to find the source of the touch.  Raising his head just slightly, he finally found what he sought and his mouth clamped around Regina’s nipple.  He was still for only a few moments before Emma and Regina saw his mouth and lips start to move, the muscles of his jaw working strongly to extract the nutrients he needed from his mother.   Occasionally, thick bubbles of cream would form at the corners of his mouth that Regina easily wiped away with the tip of a finger.   His small hands grasped and pressed at Regina’s breast as he ate.

After a while, his vigorous sucking caused his beanie to come off and Emma ran her fingertips through his soft (and surprisingly thick) brown hair before resituating it on his head so he would stay warm.

“He looks like you, Regina.”

“I wish he looked like us.”

“He has both of us and that’s what counts.”

Wordlessly, Emma laid her arm along Regina’s under the pillow, supporting her as she supported their child.  Emma watch Henry eat and listened to Regina as she hummed a soft, Spanish lullaby.  She started to feel her eyelids grow heavy and she mumbled, “I love you, Regina” before falling into a deep sleep.

Emma didn’t stir when the nurse returned, replacing Henry in his crib and transferring Ava into Regina’s arms to repeat the process on the other side.  She was safe and content beside her True Love, surrounded by her family.  A family that wanted her.  A family that needed her.  And Emma knew that she would be there with them and for them for as long as she would be on this earth. 

Emma was finally at peace.


	15. Epilogue

**October, 2018**

It was a crisp, sunny, October, Sunday in Storybrooke, Maine.  Normally, Regina would have been up earlier, but she relished the feeling of being snuggled into the warmth of her wife; strong arms encompassing her lovingly, so she allowed herself to enjoy another 30 minutes before finally slipping out of bed to start the day.  Regina tried diligently to take every weekend that she could to spend time with the kids.  Emma, who had been promoted to Chief, found a little more latitude in her schedule as well.  They tried to make sure their off-time coincided, so they could spend time together as the Swan-Mills family as much as possible.

Walking quietly into the bath so as not to wake Emma, Regina changed into her yoga pants and sweatshirt before walking down the hall to Henry and Ava’s room.  Both were sleeping soundly.  Approaching Henry’s bed, Regina saw that he was on his back, both arms thrown over his head dramatically.  He had kicked off his covers and his pajama top had ridden up, exposing his soft belly.  Regina pulled down his top and lifted the covers back over him to keep him warm before brushing his wavy, dark brown hair from his eyes and placing a kiss on his forehead.  Ava was sleeping peacefully on her stomach and had managed to stay covered.  In her hand, she grasped a well-loved stuffed dog that Emma had bought for her when she was first born and still in the hospital.  Her thick, dark hair was a mess of loose curls and waves, a testament to her Latina roots.  Regina stifled a laugh as she thought about how frustrated Emma got when she had to try to tame it in the mornings.  Regina rubbed a few, soft curls between her fingers before kissing Ava’s head and walking to the kitchen.

Regina was about 20 minutes into making breakfast when she heard the not-so-quiet, shout-whispering of Henry and Ava in the hallway. 

“Shhhhhhh Ava, you gonna wakeded them up.”

“Am not, Henwy.”

“Are too.”

“It’s Sudday, silly.  Mommy cooks and Momma stays in bed.”

“Momma sounds like a grizzy bear.”

Both broke out in a fit of giggles and Regina couldn’t help but laugh in the kitchen.  If Emma wasn’t up yet, she soon would be.  They were still shushing each other as they disappeared into the Master Bedroom.  In the bed, Emma was lying on her stomach with her face turned from the door.  Her eye was cocked open as she waited for the kids to climb on the bed.  She felt the mattress dip once, and then twice, as they crawled up.  Closing her eyes, they climbed over her back to get on the other side where they lay facing her, watching to see if she would wake.  Almost in a flash, Emma reached out and grabbed both of them into a hug.

“I’ll show you grizzly bear, “roared Emma as she acted like she was trying to bite their necks while simultaneously tickling their sides.  Squeals of laughter carried into the kitchen as the mock bear attack continued and Regina smiled and laughed with them.

“Where’s Mommy?  Did one of you take her?” Emma raised an eyebrow in question at each of her children.

“No siddy, Mommy’s cooking!” shouted both of them at once.

“Think we should help?”

“Yeah!” came an exuberant shout as Henry and Ava took off down the hall in front of Emma.  Emma was tempted to run herself, drawn to the kitchen by the heavenly smell of pancakes, baked apples and cinnamon, maple syrup and bacon.  Regina really did spoil them all on the weekends.  Emma caught Regina’s eye, grinning and winking as she used a hand on each child’s head to steer them towards the table.  Once there, she lifted each into a booster seat so they could eat more easily.  Before leaving them at the table, she leaned down to each and tapped her cheek indicating that she wanted a kiss which was readily given.  Kisses were returned to chubby cheeks accompanied by a quick, extra tickle to the tummy.  Emma loved hearing her childrens’ laughter.

Walking into the kitchen, Emma wrapped her arms around Regina from behind and kissed her neck and shoulder.  Stealing a slice of warm and gooey apple from the bowl, Emma groaned at the taste as she popped it in her mouth.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” she said to Regina with a playful squeeze.  “I’m starving.”

Regina grinned at her wife’s seemingly insatiable appetite. 

“I wasn’t expecting you all to be up for another 20 or 30 minutes.”

“I missed my wife, and the two Munchkins,” said Emma, thumbing towards the dining room where Henry and Ava sat, “decided that I was done sleeping.”

“Well, grab some drinks, breakfast is almost ready.”

Emma grabbed a mug and filled it with steaming hot coffee and creamer before pulling a jug of milk from the fridge and pouring two smaller glasses for Henry and Ava.

“Want some coffee?”

“No, I think I’ll just have some orange juice and milk.”

“I’m impressed.  No caffeine on a Sunday,” Emma grinned over the rim of her cup as she reveled in the first few sips of the steaming liquid that would bring more life into her body. “Good luck keeping up with these two without it.”

Hmmmmmm,” hummed Regina, “that’s why I have you.”

“Huh, and here I thought it was the phenomenal sex and awesome conversation, “grinned Emma.

“Keep telling yourself that, dear,” teased Regina as Emma took the drinks to the table and tried to settle the kids for breakfast.

Regina placed a short stack of pancakes in front of Emma that was drenched in apples and syrup.  In front of Henry and Ava, she placed smaller bowls with a more even mix of pancakes and apples that were already cut to just the right size.  Emma saw a hint of cream seeping from between the layers of her pancakes.  Looking up at Regina wide-eyed, she mouthed,

“Ice cream?”

Regina nodded and winked between her own small bites of apples and pancakes.

Emma and Regina took turns helping the kids eat breakfast, enjoying their own food in between.  As Regina watched Emma, she was amazed at the transformation she had made from a scared, hesitant new parent to a seasoned veteran in only a few, short years.

Eventually, breakfast was over and Regina cleared the plates.  Emma lifted one child onto each hip and carried them into their room where she helped them dress for the day.  Tiny pairs of jeans, undershirts and sweatshirts were selected showing everyone’s support for the Patriots, who they were going to watch later on TV.  Regina wasn’t sure who was more excited, Emma or the kids.  After about a half-hour, a frustrated Emma called out,

“Baby, seriously, we are going to have to do something with Ava’s hair.  This ‘Latin hair’ thing is just insanity.”

Coming into the room, Regina had hair combed out and in pigtails within a minute.  Emma looked on impressed.  She had faired a bit better with Henry’s hair, but not by much.

“So now, who wants to go outside to play?” asked Emma excitedly while clapping her hands.

Both kids shot through the hallway and living room, Emma in hot pursuit, while Regina’s calls of ‘No running in the house!’ fell on deaf ears.

Outside, Emma and Regina played with Henry and Ava.  Their favorite game was chasing Emma through the yard until she would turn and scoop them up, throwing them over her shoulder and patting their bottoms while they giggled and squirmed to be let down.  Sometimes they would pile on top of her while she lay in the grass.  Emma would ‘oomph’ when they fell on her, but laugh immediately at their excitement and gather them into a warm embrace.  Occasionally, Regina would pile on too, laying atop Emma and sneaking kisses while the kids ran around them playing tag.

Eventually Emma and Regina found themselves laying on a recliner on the deck. Regina leaned back against Emma as she sat between her legs.  Emma had unzipped her jacket and wrapped it around them both, hugging Regina tightly as she watched the kids running, a small smile playing on her lips.

“I love you, Regina,” said Emma as she nuzzled her nose and lips into Regina’s hair, the familiar and comforting scent of lavender and apples filling her senses as she kissed Regina on the head.  “I love you and Henry and Ava so much.  I don’t know what I would do without you all.”

Turning over, Regina laid her head on Emma’s chest and wrapped her arms around her wife.

“We’re right here and we aren’t going anywhere.  Promise me you won’t either.  Just let us love you.  Let me love you and let me take care of you.”

Hugging Regina tightly again, Emma laid her cheek against the top of Regina’s head and sighed a happy breath.  Soon the patter of small feet was tapping on the deck.

“Mommy, we hungy,” stated Henry as he rubbed his little belly, Ava nodding enthusiastically behind.

“You just ate two hours ago,” said Emma, “where do you two put all this food? Sheesh!”

“They get this from you, you know,” stated Regina as she lifted herself from Emma’s warm embrace.  Giving her wife a playful wink, Regina went inside to get them a snack of cheese squares and a few animal crackers while Emma turned on the TV and found the game.

Emma settled into the couch with Henry and Ava on each side to watch the game while Regina sat cross-legged on the other sofa, reading glasses on, perusing medical journals.  It was only about 20 minutes before she saw a tangle of sleeping bodies on the other couch.  Emma lay on her back, head on a throw pillow, snoring lightly.  Henry was tucked between her side and the couch back. Ava lay tummy to tummy on top of Emma, arms thrown around her neck.  Emma’s arms were wrapped protectively around both of them.  Regina stood from her couch and took in the beautiful site before her.  Creeping over quietly, she crouched down near Emma’s head.  Bringing up her phone and adjusting it so the four of them could be seen clearly in the frame, she snapped a photo.  _There’s one for the album_.  Picking up each child in turn, she walked them to the bedroom and tucked them in for their nap before kissing their foreheads and whispering “Suenos con los angeles, mijos”.

Returning to the living room, Regina sat on the edge of the couch.  In a sing-song, soft voice, she called ‘Em-ma’, before tracing her index finger lightly over the small patch of soft skin and rigid muscles that was showing between her tank hem and waistband.  When she didn’t respond, Regina tried again, a little louder,

“Em-ma.”

As she reached to trace her finger again, Emma caught her hand and entwined their fingers.  She pulled Regina on top of her, so they touching from toe to chest.   Emma’s fingers reached beneath the hem of Regina’s shirt and lightly massaged the indentations in her back muscles just above her hips.  Regina groaned softly and relaxed against her wife, laying her head on her shoulder.

“I love when you do that.”

“I know.”

“You would do this for hours when I was pregnant with Henry and Ava.”

“Yep.”

Regina lifted her head and captured Emma’s lips in a slow, passionate kiss before placing her forehead against Emma’s and looking up into her eyes.

“Emma, I –,” whispered Regina, but Emma cut her off.

“You’re pregnant, “ whispered Emma back with a playful smile.

“H-How did you know?” Regina looked at Emma puzzled, like she had suddenly gained the ability to read minds.

“Regina, I know I tell you all the time that you are beautiful, but when you were pregnant with Ava and Henry, God, I can’t even find words to describe how gorgeous you were.  Everything you did, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you.  Sometimes, when you thought I wasn’t paying attention, you would smile and touch your tummy and your eyes would just go to this faraway place.  I always hoped you were thinking of us and how happy we were going to be as a family.”

“I was.”

“Well, over the past week; I have seen you doing the same thing more than a few times.”

“But they just gave me the test results a couple days ago.”

“I think that just confirmed what you already knew.”

Regina closed her eyes and nodded her head against Emma’s.

“Are you happy, Emma?”

“Regina, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and our kids are the best thing that has ever happened to us.  You are an incredible mother and I can’t wait to do this again, and maybe even again, with you.  I told you once that I wanted us to fill this house with children.  I meant it. ”

“What if it’s twins again?”

“One, two, twelve, it doesn’t matter.  I will love them and protect them, all of them.  And I will do the same for you.  I love you, Regina.  I’m in this for the long haul.”

Standing up, Regina held out her hand to Emma and led her down the hall.  On the way past the kids’ room, they peeked in.  Emma rested her chin on Regina’s shoulder as she snaked her arms around her wife’s waist.  Henry and Ava were sleeping soundly and would be for another couple of hours.

“Wanna tell them?” whispered Emma.

“Not just yet.  Let’s have it be our little secret for a while.”  Regina turned her head so that she could kiss Emma over her shoulder.  Stepping from Emma’s grasp, she made her way to the Master Bedroom.  About halfway there, Regina curled her finger at Emma over her shoulder, biting her lower lip between her teeth before purring seductively,

“Follow me.”

With a huge grin, Emma caught up to her wife and, as the bedroom door shut and locked behind them, Emma shook her head and laughed happily,

“Here we go again….”

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to extend a huge thanks to everyone that has stuck with this story and provided so much encouragement through your comments and kudos. I can’t even begin to express how much your support has meant to me. There are so many talented writers posting on AO3 and I hope you’ll take the time to read, enjoy, comment and congratulate some of them on their works as well. This is such an amazing group of people and I wish every one of you the best. I hope each of you finds love, happiness and peace (just like Emma and Regina), today and every day.
> 
> I am in the process of writing another story (SQ of course ;)). My general approach is to write the entire story before posting. I don’t work well under pressure and would hate to leave folks hanging if life/work/writer’s block gets in the way, so it might take some time. I am hoping to get a bit more of a break to write between holidays since work slows down more (famous last words…). You are welcome to follow me on Tumblr (you know the name). I will post the link to the new story there when done (if I can figure out how the hell to do it). Please don’t get your hopes up though. I am seriously Tumblr illiterate and quite boring (I basically just ‘like’ a lot of pictures of Lana/Regina and JMo/Emma). I will bust out a comment here and there, however, when I find that I can’t hold it in any longer :D Consider yourself warned! LOL
> 
> Thanks to Emma, Regina and all of you!! <3


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